Amazon.com
Lewis De Soto's debut novel, A Blade of Grass, tells the story of Marit Laurens, a young woman of British descent, recently orphaned, who has moved with her new husband Ben to a remote farm on the contested borderland between South Africa and an unnamed country. When Ben is killed by a bomb in an act of guerilla warfare, she decides to stay on and run the farm. Alone in the world, she befriends Tembi, the daughter of her black housemaid, who has also been killed, in an accident. Struggling to transform herself as the surrounding countryside descends into bloody conflict, Marit finds herself caught between the fear and prejudices of the local Afrikaner community and the shifting loyalties and growing feeling of entitlement of the indigenous black workers. When first the Afrikaners and then the blacks flee the area, and the outside world starts to encroach menacingly on the isolated farm, Marit is stripped of everything that gave her a sense of self and a sense of belonging to this place.
A Blade of Grass is a delicate, if at times naively sentimental, exploration of the arc of a courageous relationship between two women from different societies, each an outcast from her own, during the death throes of apartheid: from the rigid structure of master and servant, through the tenderness of the shared experience of aloneness and defiance in the face of societal pressures, to betrayal. De Soto has transformed the quiet immensity of the South African veldt into spare, luminous prose. He contains everything--repression and ownership, belonging and loss, humiliation and hope--in the small gesture, the seed, the blade of grass. The story's brutality is barely graphic in its depiction, but the terror is present nonetheless, lurking insistently beneath the surface, waiting at the edge of the farm. --Diana Kuprel, Amazon.ca
Book Description
Set on the border between South Africa and an unnamed neighboring country in the 1970s, A Blade of Grass is a suspenseful novel about a bitter struggle over a small farm and its dramatic consequences for two women, one white and one black.
The story centers on Märit Laurens, a young woman of British descent, recently orphaned and newly wed, who comes to live with her husband, Ben, on their newly purchased farm. Shortly after her arrival, violence strikes at the heart of Märit's world, leaving her alone and isolated. Devastated, confused, but determined to run the farm on her own, Märit finds herself in a simmering tug of war between the local Afrikaner community that surrounds the farm and the black workers who live on it, both vying for control over the land in the wake of tragedy.
Märit's only supporter is her black housekeeper, Tembi, who, like Märit, is alone in the world. The women are determined to hold on to the farm, but the quietly encroaching civil war brings out conflicting loyalties that turn the fight for the farm into a fight for their lives.
A Blade of Grass is a wrenching story of friendship and betrayal and of the trauma of the land that has shaped post-colonial Africa. Thrilling to read and morally complex in its message, it offers a fresh, profound, and emotionally immediate perspective on what it means to be black or white in a country where both races live and feel entitlement.
Customer Reviews:
Had a hard time finishing it.......2006-05-04
This book moved slowly, and didn't keep me interested very well. The symbology was not very subtle, the author just laid it out in front of you, not letting you search for it at all. I thought the second half was better than the first.
Even a blade of grass makes a difference.......2005-11-18
"A Blade of Grass" by Lewis DeSoto is one of my favorite books of all time. The main theme of the story is self-searching and looking for your place in the world. Who are you? Is it dependent on other people? Are you always the same person in different places, times and environments? What's love? What's frienship? Those and many other questions had the author in mind when wirting the novel. "A Blade of Grass" is a beautiful story of trying to survive, breaking the waves and fighting ourselves. There's no need to point out all the aspects of the book, because it's so multi-dimensional that everyone should find his own views on it. A must-read for sensitive readers, who are not afraid of asking questions and thinking on many levels.
A Complex Metaphoric Novel of Apartheid.......2004-10-25
From the first words of this novel, the reader is propelled into the world of the inhabitants of a farm in South Africa on the eve of the increasingly oppressive laws prohibiting blacks from living in certain areas. Superbly well-plotted, the novel describes the complexity of relationships between blacks and whites during this critical historical time, and charts the reality of the effects of apartheid in the everyday lives of the characters, most particularly, the repression and violence that such a system engenders. Still, in the person of Tembi, there is enormous humanity and hope for the future, though the novel does not flinch from describing loss, pain, and violence. To me, the novel raises the important issue of how safe any home can be if it is erected on an edifice of inequity -- an issue that transcends what happened in South Africa. Throughout, the desire of each character for a meaningful, dignified life is artfully explored. And the land is delinated in such a way that it too becomes a character. I couldn't put this novel down.
Ambitious but does not engage the reader.......2004-05-13
The story revolves around on the relationship between two women, one white the other black, in South Africa during the times of the apartheid. I found the theme is extremely interesting and since several book clubs have featured "A Blade of Grass" as their main selection, I decided to read the book. To my disappointment I found myself tumbling along the pages, due to the far from efficient execution by the author. In most cases the descriptions DeSoto presents are rich and enlightening, but the dialogue lacks depth and interest.
Marit Laurens has just moved with her husband to the African countryside after the death of her parents. The newlywed couple bought a farm, named it Kudufontein, and set out to carve their own future. Marit is in charge of handling the accounts, correspondence, bills and wages, while her husband, Ben, runs all the other aspects related to the farm. Soon after the move, Marit starts to question the cleverness of this new enterprise, since she feels very lonely during the time Ben is out on the fields. Also, she is in fear of the war going on close by, on the country's border, where guerrillas are attacking farms to regain their God-given rights over the land.
As a way to find solace, Marit tries to establish a relationship with her maid, Grace, but is self-restricted by the racial barriers and customs she has observed and practiced all her life. When shortly afterwards Grace is killed in an accident, Marit starts to get closer to Tembi, Grace's daughter, and offers her the job as a maid. From this point on, several events develop, like the strengthening of apartheid and the reception of fatal news by Marit, which bring the two women closer together.
Lewis DeSoto scores high in his description of the effects of apartheid on people on both sides of the "conflict", and the story has value in showing how race should not be a barrier in human relationships and friendship. However, he loses the reader's interest in several instances during the story, making finishing the book more a chore than a real pleasure. I hope that he perfects his writing abilities and delivers a better polished novel next time, since he has good ideas for the plot and just needs to improve in the execution.
Neither here nor there.......2004-03-18
Though I found this book hard to put down, I felt it was lacking. It was not fast moving, yet it wasn't meant to be. The main character, Marit, did not change or grow much, and as the end of the book drew near I felt her fate was inevitable, yet I was unsure of the lesson to be learned from it. At the end I no longer felt anything for her. The dialogue could use some work, and the symbology of the land with life was a little too obvious; it was almost cheesy. Regardless, the novel held me because it had a layer of hope hidden under the surface. It reminded me of how helpless we really are and that sometimes hard work and dedication mean nothing in a world torn by war and injustice. I felt that the author captured these feelings very well.
Average customer rating:
- This could really come true
- Also known as The Death of Grass in the UK
- Good premise, but could've been better written
- Interesting, but doesn't promote a helpful frame of mind
- This could have been a great book, but....
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No blade of grass: A novel
John Christopher
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B0007FKT8G |
Customer Reviews:
This could really come true.......2007-09-26
I read an article in a mainstream food magazine called Gourmet several years ago about genetically modified foods. Apparently a scientist in one biotech company accidently created something that if it had been introduced into the environment, it would have eventually wiped out all organic matter on the continent.
Also known as The Death of Grass in the UK.......2006-10-18
This was published in the USA as No Blade of Grass, but was originally published in the UK as The Death of Grass. An absolutely awful movie, titled No Blade of Grass, was made in the US and did not do well here, nor did it deserve to.
It was classed as juvenile fiction or Young Adult Sci Fi here in the US and was never considered a classic or a must-read. A few forward-thinking teachers once had it on their reading lists for teens or used it as an alternate in the middle school grades in the 170s and 80s, ie: the kids could choose between this and other, more mainstream fiction.
It is an excellent book, with a believable plot and chillingly accurate details; psycholgical profiles of most characters, for the most part, do not seem intusive, but naturally part of the narrative. These people and their thought proceeses and behaviors, given their circumstances, seem real and unforced.
Though, near the end, the rather broad strokes he paints a few characters with---notably the large, stodgy family who are hangers- on, not leaders and who are not cut out for this new world, where people survive by wit and skill---stand out badly in contrast to the rest. A little preachy there, I thought.
Why it is that this book has not been reprinted or made more easily available to all readers, regardless of age, I will never understand. I did read somewhere that the author, who writes here under the pseudonym of John Christopher, had stated, long after its first publishing in the UK, that he did not wish it to be reprinted (but as he does not own the full international copyright, I am not sure if that alone is enough to prevent it). The author's real name was Christopher Youd. [...]
Unlike On The Beach, which was published in the same vein and time period, it begins not with a devasting man-made accident, but an event completely natural and more realistic---a disease affects all the graminae--grass---plants.
Sounds simple, right? But as the disease organism naturally fights to survive, it mutates, as do many naturally occuring molds and viruses now. Man unintentionally worsens the advancing disease, as they interfere with and ultimately strengthen a strain they hadn't known existed, until its dormant version rears its ugly head.
It reminded me a bit of the current medical and scientific problems we face, one example being MRSA vs the current roster of antibiotics. If that nasty little bug ever gets out of control, we'll all need our own happy valley to retreat to.
Good premise, but could've been better written.......2005-03-05
The idea behind this book is fascinating: how does one country handle a food crisis caused by a virus (in this case the country is China & the virus destroys rice crops)? If & when the virus spreads throughout the world, destroying all grasses & grains, would civilazation survive, or would societies revert back to Middle - Ages brutality?
While I do agree with john Christopher that civilazation will not last very long under these conditions, but I don't gree with his black & white attitude toards the events occuring after civlazation breaks down & each man is out to save himself, & maybe the few people close to him.
Interesting, but doesn't promote a helpful frame of mind.......2002-10-14
The basic idea of this young adult story is really interesting. A mutant virus has appeared, but it only affects certain plants, not humans or animals. "Well, that doesn't sound so bad," you say? Wrong! The virus destroys all grasses and grains. This not only means brown lawns in the suburbs, but also leads to a total lack of food for cattle and other livestock. Furthermore, it entails a similarly utter lack of wheat and grain, for humans. Within a year, terrible famine spreads throughout the world. Civilization collapses. The few scared, skinny survivors who remain huddle together in isolated valleys, growing rare virus-resistant potatos for food, and fighting off bands of marauding scavengers.
The premise of this story is really intriguing and provocative. However, as usual, John Christopher is too preoccupied with creating extremely brutal, murderous, unnecessarily tough-guy characters. He did this in the Tripod Trilogy, he did it in "The Long Winter," and he does it again here. I personally think that characters like this seem to take up residence in a reader's unconscious mind. For literally years to come, they can provide a feeling of justification for all kinds of mean, evil behavior. Why not write about people who make things work out? Why not focus on the good? Or at least, why not write about the scientific elements of this virus, and a scientific struggle to cure it?
If you'd like to read some nonfiction about this kind of scenario, I'd like to recommend "Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization," by David Keys. That book is about similarly widespread famines, and struggles which the author believes may have taken place during the medieval period. Or, you might wish to read "The New Nuclear Danger," by Dr. Helen Caldicott. Anyway, "No Blade of Grass" is interesting in a way, but it has too much negativity. One thumb partly up.
This could have been a great book, but...........2002-09-07
Most apocalyptic novels are marked by spectacular explosions, loathesome invaders, or the like. This one is not. Instead, in a very believable scenario, a rice virus develops in China, and the Chinese government tries to keep it secret. However, when the great famine develops, the UN comes up with an isotope that stops it. But the cure is worse than the disease, for this allows an all encompassing grass virus to come out of hiding.
What follows is a civilization ending virus that kills all grasses, including all food grains. So, in one swoop, livestock and grain are gone. The Eastern hemisphere descends into famine and cannibalism. In England, the site of the story, the government decides to use H-Bombs on the cities to alleviate the famine. All well and good, and frighteningly believable.
But what isn't at all credible, and what detracts from the book is the tale of a few people who go into a small, secluded English valley to live on potatoes and root crops. Except for a brief foray, the group faces no meaningful attack, and the book ends with the Western Hemisphere intact, and the valley's few survivors planning to build new cities. The ending is a sop to the desire to give some hope where none would exist. Personally, I much prefer George Stewart's much more honest approach in "Earth Abides."
Average customer rating:
- An unfortunate disappointment
- B for story, A+ for character (Slade!)
- Johanna Lindsey loves the twins
- WOW can't Beliveve this book got 4 stars
- Spanning the great divide!
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Tender Is the Storm
Johanna Lindsey
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0380896931 |
Book Description
Headstrong heiress Sharisse Hammond wants no part of the New York society marriage that has been arranged for her. So she heads west across a vast and dangerous land -- with no intention of honoring her agreement to become the mail-order bride of a rugged Arizona rancher.
But Lucas Holt needs a wife -- any wife -- if his plan to destroy his most hated enemy is to succeed. And this gullible Eastern lady would do quite nicely. However, their separate schemes to use one another are complicated by raw, aching passion. For Lucas's beautiful, unsuspecting pawn was not supposed to be so irresistible alluring. And freedom-loving Sharisse never dreamed she could ever desire one man so much!
Customer Reviews:
An unfortunate disappointment.......2007-07-27
I adore Johanna Lindsey's books so much that I recently purchased every single one of her paperbacks in one shopping trip. That said, it is difficult for me to say anything negative about her writing. HOWEVER...
Unfortunately, I found "Tender is the Storm" so unappetizing that I couldn't force myself to read past about the hundredth page. Instead, I skipped to the last chapter and was so annoyed with the ending that I was glad I hadn't bothered with the middle of the book.
First of all, the entire story was based on a web of lies. Sorting through all the lies in this novel feels like swimming in wet sand. Second, there is no real chemistry between the characters--sexual spark is NOT the same as a deep emotional connection. The book is frustrating at best, and not in a good way.
I will continue to read through my Lindsey collection and I certainly can't hold this book against her simply because it's not my style, but I'm not going back to read the middle of this book just to say I've read everything in my collection. It's just not worth it.
B for story, A+ for character (Slade!).......2007-03-26
The book really took off for me in the 4th quarter when Holt shows up in New York, demanding his propers as Shanille's husband. I loved both the Arizona setting (which reminded me of Giant, The Movie from the '50's starring Jimmy Dean) as well as the 1880's New York social scene. There were even scenes in Europe. It was tantalizing.
For me, the problem is that you almost have to read the book backwards. There are revelations at the end that make you read the earlier scenes much differently.
Let me put it this way. Slade Holt is a fascinating person, and it is obvious why Shanille is attracted to him, though she is supposed to marry his brother. You really want to know more about Slade's story and his evolution as a person. He is almost unbelievably 'round' as a character - and I wanted a lot more of him. When you read the book in the forward direction (that is without the knowledge you gain at the end), the book doesn't make sense. How does a life-time rancher, who's lived alone most of his life, find the social skills to correctly interpret, interface, and manage, this beautiful, New York, socialite? It is not until the end of the story that the rest of his life is filled in and you realize that this gun-slinger could conduct himself with distinction in almost any walk of life, from the wealthiest of high society down to the lowliest western tavern. It is such a stretch that, as a reader, you have to 'see' how that is possible. I wanted more of a clue about how he got to be that way - not the data dump that we received at the end. But Johanna Lindsey does her usual thing of 'telling' you what these characters are about. Lindsey did a better job in Marriage Most Scandalous, in setting the reader up with a rationale why the hero had multiple sides to his personality. Like Sebastian, Slade is a very interesting character, having been molded by life's circumstances. You don't find that out until the end of the story, though the scenes with him light up the page.
Another example of the luke-warm effort at characterization is the hopelessly self-centered Stephanie. You wonder how it is possible, since she is so self-centered, that Shanille could have been taken in, at the beginning of the story, since a selfish person like Steph would have been so all her life. (The fact that Steph ends up with the sexually insipid Joel could have been mined for more humor). The characterizations are so shallow that you're at first bored by the story.
I thought it was a cop-out to be told on the last page of the book, that Shanille had borne him children (twins), since again, that is a major thing for a high society woman of the 1880's. How did she do that and then re-enter society, as depicted in the 4th quarter of the book? Where is the support network that lets her do that? And by the time it is revealed, it is a plot element that is totally not relevant to the story, so why bring it up in the first place?
The 1880's was the time of Women's Suffrage. I was surprised that more of that wasn't built into the story, since when Shanille arrives in Arizona and has the wifely chores to look forward to every day, she doesn't make an issue about her expectations in terms of the amount of labor. Nor does the subject come up at the end of the book, when she finds out she basically doesn't have any legal standing. Surprisingly, Lindsey DOES bring up the Five Corners - that hopeless slum (Think Gangs of New York) at one part of the story.
All of that being said - the story, as usual with Lindsey, is a good one. I enjoyed the setting, the New York atmosphere of The 400 (the social network of the wealthiest). The moments between Slade and Shanille are electric! He really figures out how to handle Shanille, and it is charming. The sense of palpable risk and consequences in the final chapters are exhilarating. This story will stay on my shelf so that I can read the late middle chapters again and again, (skip the last page), and enjoy Slade Holt!
Johanna Lindsey loves the twins.......2006-06-07
Sharisse Hammond is a New York city heiress whose entire life has been planned out for her by her father. He wants her to marry his best friend's son and she agrees--glad to have it out of her hands after being seduced by a French rake. When Sharisse's little sister Stephanie admits to her that she is in love with Sharisse's fiance, Sharisse does the sisterly thing and agrees to leave town for awhile so that Stephanie can have time to lure Joel her way. Her plan: pose as a mail-order bride and stall as long as possible.
Lucas Holt is an Arizona rancher looking for a woman who will earn her keep and keep they prying eyes in his small town away from him. He is now, however, looking for a wife. He advertises for a mail-order bride with the hopes of getting some rich society heiress who will run back to daddy when she realizes the hard work in store for her on a horse farm. His twin brother Slade, a notorious gunslinger, only adds to the foreboding air of the Holt home.
With too many lies between them to count, Lucas and Sharisse fall in love under the hot Arizona sun. Only Sharisse can't help but feel a little attracted to his brother as well. She can't really be in love with them both; or can she?
I really liked this Lindsey novel mostly because it's a departure from the historical romances that I'm used to. While halfway through the book there was an outrageous plot turn, I rolled with it and wasn't disappointed. The ending was a bit too easy for my taste, but I definitely enjoyed the journey. It was very similar to another of her books I read recently, A Man to Call My Own, another story of twins (girls this time) from the East coast who try to make their way in the old West. If you enjoy Tender is the Storm I think you'll definitely like A Man to Call My Own, and vice versa.
WOW can't Beliveve this book got 4 stars.......2005-06-23
The story of Sharisse Hammond and Lucas Holt barely dragged along. I have this annoying tendency to finish what I have started and I was thinking to myself "when is this story gonna finish and when is that "dense Sharisse chick gonna figure out that Lucas and his twin brother are one and the same" . All in all, save your money!
Spanning the great divide!.......2005-04-10
As I read these reviews I wondered if people were reading the same book! It seems you either loved it or hated it.I just finished reading it for the second time. The first time I read it 6-8 yrs ago, I didn't like it at all but I accidentally started reading it again and got caught up in it. I really enjoyed it this time around. The characters were great. The plot was certainly different from the usual western stuff. And while some of you put the ending together before I did, it was still unique. This is not a pulitzer prize winner, but it gets the job done for an enjoyable historical western romance. I think the clue is that as we grow and evolve, our reading tastes also change. And different reading is enjoyed at different times in our life. It has helped me greatly to understand why any book can have so varied a response from readers and critics.
Customer Reviews:
wow what a story.......2006-01-05
I thought this was a great read!! It had many twists and turns in its plot everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen next, this was a surprise waiting on the next page. Its a great escape your dull or busy life book. You get totally engrossed in zoe and Rolfe's life and cheer on their romance one minute curse them for not getting together sooner. And finally at the end everybody's happy. It's a great story.
Enjoyable, worth reading!.......2004-04-21
I was surprised to see the generally very negative reviews. I thought this was a very good read. The doll incident was a laugh-out-loud moment, and the identity of Le Patron wasn't one I expected. Some might dislike the hero, Rolfe, for his Neaderthal views on the place of women in society, but I found him realistically portrayed for precisely that reason. He merely reflected the views of men two hundred years ago (sad to say, some men in the 21st century hold similar views!) He was patronising, high-handed and smug, butwas rather endearing in his way. A sensitive, new-age guy, he wasn't. Zoe was also protrayed realistically. Although I enjoy kick-ass heroines a la Jennifer Garner's character in "Alias", the truth is, most 18th and 19th century women were more like Zoe than our modern misses with their rights and opportunities. Nonetheless, Zoe was very likeable for her quiet strength and honesty, not to mention a hidden temper, that could be nasty. I liked the fact that she was aware of her early hero-worship/infatuation, and that she was strong enough to go beyond it -- to make a break and to divorce Rolfe. She took control of her life to the extent that she was able to under the societal mores of her times, in other words.
This book is worth reading.
Sweeping Historical Romance of Wartorn France.......2003-05-29
TENDER THE STORM is the first novel of a trilogy by Thornton dealing with three siblings of the Devereux family during the tumultuous revolutionary period in the history of France. This was Zoe's story, the youngest daughter, though 17 because of her diminutive size she was able to pose as a schoolgirl of thirteen. Together, with a man she knew only as Rolphe, they fled across wartorn France to England. She was whisked away to a safe house with other French immigrants. Weeks later she would meet up with Rolphe again as he discovers that the 'child' he rescued was really a very beautiful young lady - only in his mind, he still saw her as the child. The attraction is there, and thinking to save her from the London streets Rolphe, Marquess of Rivard, makes her his wife, in name only, then abandoned her to his country estate and a less than enthusiastic mother-in-law. Zoe did her best, to live up to the role, as she was in love with her husband and the ideal she had painted of him as her stalwart rescuer.
After an unfortunate incident of mistaken identities, a heart broken Zoe, takes the initiative and returns to France to nurse her broken heart, whereupon she divorces Rolphe and blossoms into the toast of the new French society. In the meantime, Rolphe has survived an assassination attempt and it is months before anyone tells him that she's left him.
Underneath the romance, in which Rolph proves to be a real 'jackass' (not having a clue as to what ails his wife) there are the undercurrents of the espionage, secret societies, treachery, and greed which is brilliantly portrayed by this amazing author. If I were to rate this book based on liking the hero who simply acted like a 'man' - clueless in terms of recognizing what was going on in his life - yes I would not like this. Instead I see a sweeping novel with a slice of real history and a romance that took some time to come to it's enviable and sensual conclusion. I was not disappointed. I loved the rich characterizations of the players in this story and look forward to the next book in this trilogy.
Dont bother!.......2003-03-20
This saga was long winded and just droned on. Rolfe's inability to see Zoe as a young woman after she's shed her disguise is a bit far-fetched and the whole story is colored by the semi-rape love scenes. Not nearly up to the standard of her other books.
Not her Best.......2002-12-31
Elizabeth Thornton writes great fiction. Obviously English-school trained where language arts are important. However, this is not one of her best. Too long, too long-winded, too detailed.
Read other reviews for plot-lines as I am concerned only with writing styles. Actually, the two protagonists hardly caused a ripple in my reading hours, but I continue to look for her books as they are usually way above the rest! Sentence structure, interesting plots, mature writing style and romance without all the usual "thoughts" and clutter. I admire Elizabeth Thornton's style.
Average customer rating:
- The most original, sensual book I have ever read
- One of Storm's classics...
- WARNING: Contains strong scenes ...
- It takes a one or two chapters...
- Ah, the magic of 'What If'
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Stalking Tender Prey (Constantine, Storm. Grigori Trilogy, Bk. 1.)
Storm Constantine
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0965834549 |
Book Description
The Grigori Trilogy #1 The Grigori are an ancient race. Powerful people, possessing abilities and senses humans do not have. They live among us, their presence clear to those who have eyes to see... Owen and Lily Winter, twins, always knew they were different than the others who lived in the quiet hamlet of Little Moor. Their mother dead, never knowing who their father was, they lived alone in the large house. When Peverel Othman arived in Little Moor he was looking for something or someone, he really was not sure which. When he found the twins he knew his search was over. For Lily and Owen their lives would be forever changed. The quiet hamlet of Little Moor just became the new home of a Grigori.
Customer Reviews:
The most original, sensual book I have ever read.......2005-05-04
I have never read any other book like Stalking Tender Prey, so there is really nothing I can compare it to. Truly original. There are only two downsides to this book, so I will start with those. It took me a long time to get through because it lost me in the beginning (the first 60 pages or so) and again at the end (the last 30). The rest more than made up for it. Completely sucked me in and left me panting for breath. The other semi-negative is that it doesn't really end, it just sets up for the next instalment. So really, it seems the story is just beginning. Now, the good: EVERYTHING else. The characters are engrossing on every level, very few are shallow or one-dimentional or simply good or bad. They feel so real and tangable. Even though their lives are something few of us can imagine, you can understand their feelings and reasonings because you get to know them so well and get inside their hearts and minds. Storm has the gift of words and description without a doubt. Everything was sensual, everything. It was also very sexual, and while very small amounts were explictly descriptive, it was the most arousing novel I have read. While, there are many scenes and themes revolving around homosexuality (some of the best I have read), it is by no-means simply a gay novel. It deals with sexuality on levels that the everyday person/writer shys away from. Storm manages to make every scene shocking yet comprehendable and honest. The story line goes all over the place, and at times scans centuries. Once you catch onto the overall flow of the story, it is easy to follow. I can not wait to read the second novel of this series, which is out of print, unfortunately, but I am sure it will be worth searching for. While not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, it is worth taking a chance on. Jump on for one intense, unparalled adventure!
One of Storm's classics..........2003-06-19
Well, JD, if you're a closet homophobe, this book is sure to rub you the wrong way, but that's no reason to give it one star. Storm has only written one weak book in her career, to my knowledge, and that WAS actually, in this series (Book #3 - Stealing Sacred Fire). Stalking, on the other hand, is one of her classics. I admit, the homosexual scenes are almost buffetingly strong, and extremely uncomfortable for those of us outside the lifestyle. But they are mind openeing. The closest comparison I can come to in this regard is Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel" trilogy, whose heroine, Phedre, is a sexual masochist and prostitute. When I read her first assignation I didn't know whether to cry, scream, or throw-up; but it definitely pushed my mental boundaries. So, I'm not going anywhere near a whip, or another man's, uh....pride; but I appreciate a book that pushes my buttons and keeps me thinking.
Finally, your most absurd claim was that she was trying to sound like Clive Barker. Storm does NOT try to sound like ANYONE else, that's why she's Storm. Storm is a goddess because she is so unrepentantly herself.
You shouldn't ruin a book's ratings just cause it rubbed you the wrong way.
WARNING: Contains strong scenes ..........2003-02-18
I have nothing against gay people and have a couple of gay friends, but still I do NOT want to know the intimite details of their ...life, which this book provides in abundence. It just goes on and on many times across many pages. If I had know this then I wouldn't have picked it up.
Also I found the writing to be below average. The book can't decide if it wants to be a fantasy/horror book or make a stand against male oppression. It's just too stupid when the female charactars all have "magical" female powers and everyone understands everything about everyone else, and therfore knows what everyone are doing and thinking all the time.
The authour tries so hard to be Clive Barker, but fails terribly.
It takes a one or two chapters..........2002-07-25
This book takes one or two chapters to get into, but once you do it is almost impossible to put down for any length of time. The novel delves into the possibilities of a fallen race of angels among us from a uniquely Pagan perspective. Angels, until this point in my life, always seemed silly to me, but not in this first book of a trilogy. The novel is just compelling reading. I highly recommend it.
Ah, the magic of 'What If'.......2002-06-10
My wife had read this series several years before we met, and recommended them to me. The ideas bibliography included one of my favorite books, 'The Orion Mystery', so I gave it a chance. The story is sexually gothic, magically bloody, and leaves you hungry for more at the end. Thankfully, this is only the first of the trilogy.
Product Description
Set of 4 paperback historical romance novels by Johanna Lindsey: Home for the Holidays, Captive Bride, Paradise Wild, & Prisoner of My Desire.
Product Description
A rare collection of historical romance novels
Average customer rating:
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TENDER IS THE STORM
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HNLHDE |
Average customer rating:
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Tender Is The Storm
Johanna LINDSEY
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0552127159 |
Books:
- A Summons to Memphis
- Adventures in Wood Finishing: 88 Rue de Charonne (A Fine Woodworking Book)
- Alaska Bear Tales
- All Families are Psychotic: A Novel
- An Inconvenient Woman
- Angel Spotlight
- Anne Tyler: Three Complete Novels: A Patchwork Planet * Ladder of Years * Saint Maybe
- Antiquity and its Interpreters
- Arrow of God
- Baltasar and Blimunda
Books Index
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