Average customer rating:
- Beautiful
- Not always a fan but this book may be one of the finest collections
- Antics in Angelus
- Australian universality
- A "Full-On" Writer
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The Turning: New Stories
Tim Winton
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Customer Reviews:
Beautiful.......2007-01-16
If you are looking for writing that takes your breath away and stories that make you look deeply into yourself and your life and the lives of others, then read this book. You will not be disappointed.
Not always a fan but this book may be one of the finest collections.......2006-03-30
Sometimes Mr Winton seems to be straining to be profound riddling his books with impressive literary devices - or maybe I'm too dumb to recognise great art. But with THE TURNING he seems completely at ease and as a consequence the stories ring with a truth - an emotional and spiritual truth firmly set in a believable landscape. The title story about Raelene's physical and spiritual journey, is in the patois of we Australians - a ripper! Mr Winton's great contribution to world literature may indeed be the way in which he is liberating the Australian language and bringing the voice and stories of our caravan dwellers, fishermen, and other inhabitants of small town Australia - working and otherwise - to the fore.
The Lockie Leonard trilogy and THE TURNING I expect have joined or will be joining our collective memories much as Blinky Bill, Ginger Meggs and Voss already have.
Antics in Angelus.......2006-01-23
There's a special appeal to the "linked" short story collection. Although the same names and places appear, each is new with the next story. The desperate men, the battered wives, the confused and bewildered children. They interact in their own ways, coming together and breaking apart over the years. In the hands of a master storyteller like Winton, each tale is a spark of reality. Every individual comes almost startlingly alive in but a few pages. As the sequence unfolds through the view of the protagonist, you gain fresh insights on circumstances. Absolute values have no place here, a lesson most of us would do well to remember.
The tales are set in a coastal town in Western Australia. Angelus is a fishing community - often under stress from unemployment, it is a contained locale. Children grow up as neighbours, move through school together, and interact in almost wildly varying ways as they mature. There are mysteries - why was a boy left broken and battered on a beach? Who was the girl found dead in a school loo and how did she die? Who escaped the almost desolate town and how bound do they remain to it in later years? These are common situations and questions in a small town, and the economic pressures add intensity to the expected conditions we all endured in adolescence. It is a credit to Winton's outstanding prose skills that beauty emerges within this forlorn community. A coastal location always provides a sense of expanded view lacking in inland towns. Yet here, as almost everywhere in Australia, the desert looms as an ever-present menace, poorly understood and a block to escape even mountains fail to match.
Vic Lang, the character around whom these stories weave, emerges first as a young child at a beach party. His life is complex. While in school, a girl with a facial birthmark fascinates him, but that's not the girl he marries. His attachments are intense and sometimes offbeat. He takes up with "Boner" McPharlin [the term comes from his job in an abattoir], the Huckleberry Finn of his time and place. Totally without ambition, Boner's presence gives Vic a basis for comparison with his own life. It's a shaky foundation to launch into adulthood. Vic symbolises the small-town outlook with his sense of being under constant scrutiny. In "The Long, Clear View", Vic reflects on his life and how the town imposed so much of itself on his later life.
North American readers often balk at the "culture shock" of Australian conditions and language. Winton's deft touch softens the shock to what might be deemed a "culture tickle". His character portrayals and the manner in which he deals with the passage of time among what become familiar people, guide the reader effortlessly through some unfamiliar terms and conditions. What does "shoot through" mean? It has nothing to do with weapons. It means "escape" or "desertion" depending on the protagonist's viewpoint. A "jacaranda" turns out to be a tree, ugly when not blooming, but a stunning array of colour in the proper season. If a blossom falls on while walking underneath, it is said to be a sign of good luck. Does that happen in Angelus?
Winton's realistic view of people and events is at odds with much of today's literature. His voice, while grim and sometimes even bleak, doesn't overwhelm the reader with despair. His people aren't crushed by events, they remain battlers even in the most seemingly desperate circumstances. You must, however, traverse the entire sequence to understand how they accomplish that feat. While each story stands entirely on its own, like a brick-built building, they must all be taken together to perceive the entire stunning edifice. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Australian universality.......2005-12-27
Tim Winton has created a Western Australia community, which remote as it is, portrays a commonality of human spirit instantly recognizeable. The scruffy town of Port Angelus, whose whale-processing history is laid out in his book THE SHALLOWS, is as original a concept as the communities of Faulkner or Louise Erdrich or T. R. Pearson, and with each book, Winton continues to expand the community of Port Angelus while limning out the human condition. The people in these stories could live anywhere, but are still ineffably Australian. In this latest book, each story is complete within itself yet linked to one another. Each story could be a springboard for an entire novel of its own. And each story makes you care about its characters and wish you could know what happens long after you've closed the book.
A "Full-On" Writer.......2005-12-20
In Tim Winton's latest gift to the reading public-- and what a gift it is-- he includes 17 stories, at least half of which are printed here for the first time. There are similarities in many of them. They are often set in the same place, and some of the characters reappear in different stories. They are often poor, eking out a living from fishing. They seldom leave the little towns they grew up in-- unless they are a father-- and sometimes a mother-- who simply one day walks out, never to return. They are often driven to drink and sometimes fundamentalist religion and may be overwhelmed by what Rick Bragg would call the train wreck in their lives. Some suffer from "closed-down resignation." One mother says that "they all leave you in the end." Their fragile, damaged lives, however, are often tempered by love. One character ("Commission") who has not seen his run-away father in 27 years and has every reason to feel differently, when he sees him again is "sick with love. . . at the very sight of him." Almost to a person, these characters work with the hand they have been dealt, often with little complaining.
Fictional characters usually grab us in one of two ways, assuming of course that they are real life flesh and blood to begin with, as Winton's always are. They are either exotic and not like anyone we have ever known-- anyone Tolstoy wrote about, for example, or, like Winton's, they remind us of many people we either now know or have known. Even though these characters inhabit Australia, about as far from the Southern United States as one can go, I recognized many of them. They could have stepped out of the novels of many Southern writers. Harry Crews, for example, in his memoirs published several years ago, remarked that it was not unusual for people he knew as a child growing up in South Georgia to have a missing finger. My paternal grandfather as a young man lost a finger from a horse bite. Much is made in one of Winton's stories of a young woman's missing finger ("Abbreviation"). Another girl has a huge facial birthmark. Others are imperfect in other ways.
While all theses stories are exceptional, the best story by far-- and one of the best I have read in a very long time-- is "Small Mercies." This scalding story is so powerful and the characters so haunting that you will not be able to read another one right away. How Mr. Winton can pack so much sorrow, raw pain and passion into about 30 pages is beyond me, but he does it. The first line, "Peter Dyson came home one day to find his wife dead in the garage" sets the tone for this intense story; and the writer does not let up. Dyson, unlike many of these characters who cannot wait to get out of the restrictive towns they grew up in, takes his six-year-old son Ricky and goes back to the house where he was raised in an attempt to put the pieces of his shattered life back together. He runs into Marjorie and Don Keenan, whom he describes as "full-on people," and ultimately their daughter Faye with whom he had-- at least according to him-- a very unhealthy sexual relationship throughout high school. Faye is also recently back in town, just free from drugs but teetering on a relapse. She would like to see her daughter more (who now lives with the grandparents) and would like to become friends again with Peter and rekindle whatever they had going in the past. She is both sad and manipulative-- and as human as your Aunt Edith. It does not seem fair to the rest of us mortals that anyone could write a short story this fine. But as President Jimmy Carter said-- and these characters to a person would agree-- life is not fair.
For the strong-hearted, these stories are not to be missed.
Amazon.com
Marc Parent worked for four years as a caseworker for Emergency Children's Services in New York, acting as the final protector of children from abusive parents, as "the one on the front line--the last hope for a kid in trouble." His job was to make house calls and decide if a child needed to be removed at once. He has selected eight cases illustrating the extreme pressures of the work and indicating why it is that the system so often fails in its mission. He recounts unsparingly how three years into his job he made a fatal mistake, failing to recognize the plight of a little boy who later died of starvation. This compelling account is an important documenting of the weaknesses of the child support system.
Book Description
Why does an infant die of malnutrition? Why does an eight-year-old hold a knife to his brother's throat? Or a mother push her cherished daughter twenty-three floors to her death? Marc Parent, a city caseworker, searched the streets--and his heart--for the answers, and shares them in this powerful, vivid, beautifully written book.
WITH A NEW AFTERWORD BY THE AUTHOR
Customer Reviews:
wild stories, soberly told.......2007-06-21
When a book has 'children at risk' in the subtitle, you might expect some bloviating op-ed column in book form rife with numerous stats and a preening sense of self-importance in its outrage ("I'm a prophet. Hear me roar!").
But this author primarily tells stories, cases he dealt with as a NYC Emergency Child Services caseworker. By virtue of the sweat and tears of his experience, the author is able to relay wild heartbreaking stories without getting mired in a sentimental or sensational mood.
"...how quickly, with a simple twist of the dial, the deepest calm can turn to chaos--how stealthy the chaos is and what a convincing costume of serenity it wears..." The author shows how the rationale behind seemingly horrific acts can follow some kind of logic underneath. A boy considers killing his baby brother, but not because the boy is demon possessed. Two caseworkers remove a child who is kicking and screaming in front of disgusted onlookers, but are really following the protocols of their job as best as they can under the circumstances.
This book is a real eye opener into some dark corners where children have lived. Still, the author rounds out the book with some sobering, yet heartening things to say. "Where despair and abuse spread back across generations, there are no such things as knockout punches." "The only way to lose this fight is to stop fighting."
Author RETURNABLE GIRL.......2006-12-02
As social workers we need to always advocate for chilldren at risk, unfortunately there are some fundamental flaws to the "system" which makes even our most caring workers burn out too fast. A real, gripping, honest portrayal raises this book high above the rest. For a fictional account, readers might want to check out RETURNABLE GIRL, about a teen in foster care who must choose between the woman who wants to adopt her and the mother who abandoned her.
This is a book that sticks with you.......2006-11-26
Fresh out of college, Parent left rural Wisconsin for New York City and applied for a job at Emergency Child Services, which covered critical abuse and neglect cases during nights and weekends. He shares with us some of his most dramatic and intense cases, as well as his personal reflections. During his fourth year on the job, he makes a poor judgment call that has tragic consequences. In his ensuing depression, he remembers a story he heard in junior high about some old nuns turning stones in the desert...and comes to an energizing insight. I would highly recommend this book, particularly for anyone who works in human services and feels burn-out creeping in. If you cannot read the whole book, at least read the last chapter.
A beautiful, yet emotionally challenging read..........2005-11-09
I read this book very, very quickly. That's the only way to read it, to avoid breaking down and sobbing throughout every chapter. And there are some doozies in here.
Remember the story of the woman who threw two of her five children out the window of her tenement (something like five floors up) in New York City? Marc worked the aftermath of that case. The woman had never been investigated before, hadn't even been diagnosed with mental illness, nothing. She kept down a job, the kids saw their father (who wasn't married to the mother) every weekend, they were well-fed and well taken care of. She just snapped, just like that.
He told of an eight-year old girl diagnosed with gonorrhea. Pitbulls attacking caseworkers. Women so afraid of hexes they wouldn't let their children eat the food, for fear of glass in the food killing them. Homes so infested and horrible that the caseworkers were scared to enter. An eight year old boy, mentally ill and neglected by his druggie mother, left home alone and terrified that he would kill his brother. Marc talked him down from plunging the knife, which the boy held at his two year old brother's throat, and killing his brother. Another scary story was about a nine year old boy who basically just snapped and beat one of his cousins to death.
A good read. Read it fast, and then turn some stones of your own.
beautifully written.......2005-05-11
turning stones is a wonderful book.its a collection of true events and stories of children at risk , all beautifully written and lovingly compiled by the author , marc parent ,who was himself a case worker in children's welfare services[new york] for 4 years.this book narrates many stories of various children who are abused in some way or the other.also, this book gives us an insight into a case workers life and the dilemnas he faces while attending to children in need.every chapter has a new story to tell and the readers will find it very compelling not to put the book down.a wonderful book for anyone interested in children or human interest stories.
Average customer rating:
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The Turning: New Stories
Tim Winton
Manufacturer: Picador USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
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ASIN: 0330421387 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cheers, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2007. The length of the article is 2562 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Good news for brews: the 2007 Beer Growth Brands reveal total beer sales finally turning upward, with craft and imported brews continuing to skyrocket.(Cover story)
Author: Donna Hood Crecca
Publication:
Cheers (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 18
Issue: 7
Page: 30(4)
Article Type: Cover story
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Antioch Review, published by Antioch Review, Inc. on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 4496 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Turning up the gravity.(Short Story)
Author: Floyd Skloot
Publication:
The Antioch Review (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Antioch Review, Inc.
Volume: 62
Issue: 2
Page: 255(10)
Article Type: Short Story
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- Magical love
- More than Magick
- Awesome anthology
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More Than Magick
Rhyannon Byrd ,
Titania Ladley , and
Shiloh Walker
Manufacturer: Ellora's Cave
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Product Description
Magick Men - A Shot of Magick By Rhyannon Byrd Lachlan McKendrick possesses a renowned sexual prowess impressive among even his own kind. But when the Scottish Warlock's family elders decide it's high time he stop sowing wild oats and begin planting a few Lach gets a load of magic like none he's ever known. A curse is placed upon his head, one that has some rather surprising effects on his legendary sex life. The only solution is to find his bith-bhuan gra his soul mate. And to make matters worse, he's become obsessed with a feisty American. It's bad enough that Lach cannot get the blasted woman out of his mind but she's mortal to boot! And he doesn't do mortals. At least he never has before, but the Scottish stud soon discovers that Evan Hayes has a magic that's all her own a woman's power to go after what she wants. Together they must challenge the formidable curse to discover that everlasting love can be found under the most magical of circumstances. Spell of the Chameleon By Titania Ladley It's time to reverse the spell. Mia Foxe, High Priestess of the Chameleon Coven, isn't sure why, but there's an urgency suddenly within her. Going on instinct, she returns to the old ghost town of Perish, Massachusetts. She must release the handsome former Perish cleric from the spell of solitary confinement she'd cast upon him over three hundred years ago during the infamous days of The Salem Witch Trials. But when she arrives, she discovers he's a changed man full of anger, resentment and pent-up sexual frustration. And suddenly, she finds herself warring with the devil himself! Abraham Warwick has had centuries to simmer and stew over Mia Foxe's wrath--and plenty of time to crave revenge and her luscious body. But now that she's returned, he's taking control of his life--and the witch. Stripping her of her powers, he plans a sweet, torturous retribution that no amount of magic can dispel! Once Upon A Midnight Blue By Shiloh Walker Once upon a time...after years of loyal service to his King, Aric, Master of Arms, was left to die after the Great Battle. Mortally wounded, he stumbles to a witch's cabin where he happens upon a mystical blue light. And a magical Black Elf. The Black Elf and Aric are about to claim vengeance on the King of Edouine for his treachery. And the handsome Master of Arms is finally ready to lay claim to the Princess Amery, whom he has wanted for years.
Customer Reviews:
Magical love.......2006-01-05
[Note: This review pertains only to the story "Magick Men" by Rhyannon Byrd.]
Magick Men: A Shot at Magick --
Lachlan McKendrick -- Scottish Warlock extraordinaire -- needs a woman, but not just any woman. Lachlan needs his soul mate, or else the spell that the High Council of Magicks has cast upon him will prevent him from ever having sex with a woman again! Unless, of course, he doesn't mind if she turns into an animal at the crucial moment ... Yes, a real, furry animal. You see, the Council is trying to encourage him to settle down and sire little Lachlans (or Lachlanettes). But Lachlan only has ... eyes ... for one woman -- Evan, the shapely American barista at the coffeeshop down the street. Unfortunately, Evan is a mortal woman, not a Witch, and Lachlan just can't bring himself to expose her to the danger of sex with him. Of course, Evan has other ideas...
This is one of the Ellora's Cave Quickies at a short 45 pages. It is rated E-rotic, and certainly lives up to its billing! For a short story, there is a lot of action. The sex scenes are very hot, with both hero and heroine enjoying each encounter thoroughly. While I thought it was a fun read, I have to admit that I thought the crude language a bit overdone. I don't mind "dirty talk" when it takes place in the midst of sex, but it seemed like every other word in the entire story was Anglo-Saxon. If you are sensitive to strong language, you might want to avoid this one.
More than Magick.......2005-10-04
Delightfully sensuous and magical book especially the story Magick Men - A Shot of Magick by Rhyannon Byrd. The hero is wonderfully alpha and magical and the heroine is a strong woman who has found her mate and is determined to get her man. Once these two hook up the passion is off the chain.
Awesome anthology.......2005-04-23
This anthology from authors Shiloh walker, Rhyannon Byrd and Titania Ladley is great. The stories and characters are really interesting. And the sex is hot!
Book Description
Volume one of a two volume set. Vol. A-L. A compendium of information on the occult sciences, magic, demonology, superstitions, spiritism, mysticism, metaphysics, psychical science and parapsychology. Containing reference information relative to animals; birds and insects; demons; gems; geographical (places of phenomena); gods; paranormal phenomena; periodicals; plants and flowers; and societies and organizations.
Customer Reviews:
Out of date, but stil contains some excelent material........2002-05-17
Apparently published in 1920 or thereabouts, this very large volume contains a wealth of material. Lewis Spence was a prolific author and many of his books on Atlantis and various mythological traditions can still be obtained quite cheaply. Spnce was a contemporary of Crowley and th Golden Dawn and so this book contains no information on them. It is also hampered by Spence's limited knowledge and understanding of foreign cultures and their history. Spence was a product of his time, and so are his boks.
Nevertheless I keep finding myself coming back to this book. It has many excelent biographies of prominent occultists such as Cagliostro and Paracelsus, some running to 3 or 4 pages. Some major subjects, such as Astrology and Alchemy are also covered in lengthy sections. There are also many illustrations of varying quality. Also sometimes reprinted as "The Encyclopedia of the Occult", there are many very affordable editions available.
Definitely recommended.
Disappointing - Not Complete.......2001-12-09
I expect it to be comprehensive. After all, the title includes the word "Encyclopedia". Those that are knowledgeable in the occult will find this book incomplete.
I don't think it is worth even to call it a "dictionary".
Doubtful Completeness.......2001-06-18
I cannot find the word "egregore"... and hence I doubt the book is good enough to be called an encyclopedia of occultism. Anyone who knows occultism well will find terms here and there missing in this so-called most complete encyclopedia.
A great reference for amateurs and experts alike.......2000-11-10
Despite it's relative blandness (no illustrations and a boring font) This book is an interesting read (though some entries were not there i.e.: Glasya, troglodye, etc- but- you can't have it all).
Page after page you learn something new about your garden variety supaernatural occurences and characters and much more.
This volume has the advantage of not being corrupted by the mass media perception of the occult.
Definitely a book that I would not put down for a while.
GOOD SOLID BOOK.......1997-02-26
THIS BOOK HAS INFO NOT FOUND IN OTHER OCCULT REFERENCEBOOKS. GOOD SOLID BOOK .
Book Description
What if you were told you have a power you didnt know about?What if you were told that you have to use it to save the universe from a major baddie?What if no one will tell you how you are suppose to do this?Scott Madison is about to find out.
Customer Reviews:
4.5 Stars!.......2005-05-10
Karaydeon is an Elfaeden "Elf" who lived centuries ago on a planet named Stracos. He imprisoned a malevolent being, Orfo, in a complex set of pocket universes and watched over by two intelligent dragons. Arion is his direct descendant. (Think Merlin the Magician with pointed elf ears.) He is an Adept at Magick. Arion learns that one of Orfo's followers, Lord Vraasz, has found the Tri-Lith of the Yorben. With it, Vraasz can free Orfo. The Tri-Lith combines the three Parton powers (Magick, Psi, and Pneuma) into the all-powerful Bahratic Power. (Okay Readers, this is as simple as I could explain it. Consider it as a very loose description.) Arion eventually travels to Earth to meet Jake and compels him to train Scott for his future.
Dr. "Jake" Kesten is a Martial Arts expert, Mathematician, and computer scientist. (Think hacker or cracker.) He convinces Scott to work with him. Their job is to persuade people NOT to attack government computers. At least that is what Scott thinks. It all changes when Jake's old friend, Arion, pops in.
"Scott" Madison is the main character and narrator of the story. Before Scott can even properly greet Arion, he finds himself teleported to another world where (once he no longer believes he is dreaming) he joins a group of shady adventures in a quest. Their mission? To save the Elfaeden, the Crystal Dragons, and themselves from total destruction. Their secret weapon? Scott. All poor Scott has been told is that he has a Pneuma Power, even though he is unaware of it. He must learn to control it and use it to save the day. Problem is that no one will tell him just HOW he is supposed to do it.
***** This novel is hard to write an enlightening synopsis for. In fact, my explanation of the story only touches the main plot. There are quite a few characters, each with interesting attitudes and abilities. There are just as many problems and obstacles too. Just when I thought I understood it all, the "malapert" author throws in twists. Not just one twist. Nooooo. All-in-all, you will find yourself royally entertained, never bored, and begging for more. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Everything but the kitchen sink!.......2004-11-04
The author has enough idea to write a dozen books. Unfortunately he puts them all into one book!
As something to read while on a trip this book is ok. But if you are looking for any true story development or plot, forget it! Magic, PSI, Dragons, High Tech civilizations, mysterious relics, elves, werewolves etc. they are all in there somewhere!
If the author used about 1/5th the ideas he put in the book then he could have had a good novel.
A tremendous tale.......2004-09-22
Scott Madison has just graduated from the University of California at San Diego as a marine biologist. Although he has no immediate plans for the future beyond getting a job, he knows what he will not follow in the footsteps of his father The Colonel. He accepts work with Dr. Jake Kesten after reading a weird ad on the bulletin board about a marine biologist working in war conditions. Over the next few years in Colorado, while Scott attends graduate school and Jake teaches advanced math, they stop computer hackers including getting physical with some lawbreakers. Through all this Scott remains a virgin.
Everything changes when Arion the Elfaeden mage arrives in Boulder. He quickly whisks Jake and Scott to his planet Stracos where magick works. As Scott seems to be a magnet to MORE THAN MAGICK and somehow "allergic" to magic, he and Jake learn that the twentyish earthling is the key to saving the universe. Hell, all Scott wants to do is make love.
This epic outer space fantasy is a tremendous tale that sub-genre fans will be thankful for as a one sitting read. The cast is the key as the prime players have unique personalities that enable the audience to believe in elves, dragons, flying horses, non-earthly humanoid species, and bad dudes. Somewhat tongue in cheek, the story line hooks the reader from the moment Jake's archeologist pal drags him to Lake Champlain before the Feds arrive and never lets up until the final confrontation in which Scott tries to save the universe from a powerful baddie.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- A compelling continuation of the story of The Balance.
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Healing Magick
Mary Taffs
Manufacturer: Awe-Struck
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1587494582
Release Date: 2004-02-25 |
Book Description
Book III of the Magick series: Healer Sulis betrayed her sacred vows and doubts she'll Heal again. Mage Llyr conceals his shameful past with obsessive devotion to Goddess. As reluctant partners in the salvation of a shattered Bedrock, they stumble squarely into the path of vile enemies of the Balance.
Download Description
Healer Sulis betrayed her sacred vows and now she longs for a life of penance. Goddess and the Council have other plans, however. Sulis is sent to California Magick to Heal its shattered Bedrock, and Mage Llyr is assigned to help her. Returning to California Magick is Mage Llyr's worst nightmare, and the nightmare is made worse by Sulis's presence. She is everything he lusts after, but he cannot condone her past behavior, nor does he trust her. Sulis and Llyr are both obedient servants of Goddess, and when She orders them to become bondmates, they comply. They learn to care for one another as they work together to Heal Bedrock. But the enemies of the Balance are never idle. Sulis and Llyr are soon faced with a pair of unprecedented threats that they must face alone. Are they strong enough, both together and separately, to succeed?
Customer Reviews:
A compelling continuation of the story of The Balance........2005-09-01
Courtesy of Love Romances Reviews
This book is a compelling continuation of the story of The Balance. Picking up where More Than Magick left off, the reader has answers to many questions raised at the end of that story.
At last, Healer Sulis has her chance to shine. At the opening of the story, she is a broken down version of her former self, full of self-loathing and shame at her role in almost destroying her family and loved ones. She had betrayed her Goddess and her vows as a healer when she was under the control of the evil Janus. She believes nothing she could ever do would make up for her behavior and wishes for a life with the Daughters of the Goddess, a group of women dedicated to an existence of isolation and worship. Her family, and Goddess, have other plans however.
Mage Llyr suffers in his own private hell as well. He can never forget what happened a couple years ago. California Magick, one of the strongholds of The Balance, was destroyed by the evil Shiva, priest of the Queen. He was no match for Shiva, though he is convinced he could have done more to stop him. Nor can he forget the one woman he had loved, and how he failed her most of all.
When these two are thrown together for a special mission, neither is happy about the turn of events, preferring to continue their own chosen paths. However, their council of leaders has other plans. It turns out Bedrock is not dead at California Magick, as previously thought, but it is severely damaged and in need of healing. Su is best suited to the job, though she thinks otherwise, and Mage Llyr is chosen to assist and act as Guardian during the healing process. What Goddess wants, Goddess gets, after all, She knows best... and what she wants is for Sulis and Llyr to be bonded by old rituals, for better service to Her.
Sulis and Llyr are at odds from the moment they meet - he is convinced she was a willing party to recent events to disrupt the Balance and allow evil to reign. Su is upset as she feels she is undeserving of the honor bestowed on her to fulfill this particular duty, one that has never before been attempted, and she only wishes to be left alone to her misery. These two find themselves drawn to one another as they never expected, finding the beginnings of a special love. Unfortunately, the evil ever dogging them is back, with a new plan for the permanent destruction of Bedrock and the Balance. Can Su and Llyr overcome their doubts in themselves, and each other to Heal Bedrock and win this battle? Or will the Queen's followers conquer in the end? One must read the book to be sure. Throughout the story, the reader will see the growth of Sulis and Llyr, as they overcome the obstacles preventing them from being the best of which they are capable. As they grow and change, their mutual animosity turns to a grudging respect, then like, and finally, their love for one another reveals itself and shines through.
Of course, action is never lacking in one of Ms. Taffs' stories. She expands on the traditional good vs. evil scenario with complex storylines that will capture the reader's interest. One will be eager to keep turning the pages, to find out what will happen next. The story text and dialogue flow smoothly, seamlessly, making the storyline easier to follow. There will be some confusion in some scenes though, where references are made to happenings from the previous two books, if one is starting with this book in the series. However, Ms. Taffs works hard to dispel that as well, by providing a glossary in the back of the book, defining the Balance for readers. There are also mentions made in the glossary of the references to the first two books, explaining them to people. This will certainly help to understand the full scope of the story encompassed in these books.
In short, readers, be they new to the Balance, or veterans, this chapter in the series will delight. Hats off to Ms. Taffs for writing such a multidimensional story about such a fascinating world, that of Magick. Go out and get copies of all three books today, and be prepared to spend several hours engrossed in reading, beginning to end. But is it really the end? Of course not! Fans will be happy to hear there is already another book in the works.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2003. All rights reserved.
Average customer rating:
- A wonderful magical romance
|
More than Magick
Mary Taffs
Manufacturer: Awe-Struck
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1587493780
Release Date: 2003-03-17 |
Book Description
More Than Magick continues Diana's journey from Book I: Magick. She and Win are now lifemates, but the Balance is still a puzzling and disturbing world to her. Will she ever truly fit in? Does she even want to? Meanwhile, Win has challenges of his own. The job of his dreams is now his, and he must learn to deal with a whole new set of responsibilities while his Stronghold is in danger. A Guardian has lost his magick and a young woman has been kidnapped. Are these events related, and what is their significance?
Download Description
More Than Magick is the stand-alone sequel to EPPIE2003 Finalist Magick. The highly-acclaimed fantasy romance Magick follows Diana into the world of the Balance, where magick is used to uphold good in the service of Goddess. There Diana learns she has previously-unsuspected magickal ability, and that Win, the Mage who's been protecting her, is her lifemate, the other half of her soul. More Than Magick continues Diana's journey. She and Win are now lifemates, but the Balance is still a puzzling and disturbing world to her. Will she ever truly fit in? Does she even want to? Meanwhile, Win has challenges of his own. The job of his dreams is now his, and he must learn to deal with a whole new set of responsibilities while his Stronghold is in danger. A Guardian has lost his magick and a young woman has been kidnapped. Are these events related, and what is their significance? Win and Diana must find these answers. They also must discover the incredible power of their lifemate bond.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful magical romance.......2005-09-01
Courtesy of Love Romances Reviews
This book, More than Magick, is the continuation of the story of Win and Diana Sayre, which was begun in Magick.
Win is a mage of the Balance, a kind of religion, based on magick that worships the Goddess. He recently found his lifemate, Diana, an Adept, who is a very rare member of the Balance that is able to practice all kinds of magick.
When a Healer Apprentice, Carla, disrupts the Balance by being kidnapped out of the Ocean Magick stronghold in Rhode Island, and horribly abused, Win is selected to be the temporary Guardian there, as the old one failed at protecting everyone. His first tasks are to find Carla and bring her home safely, and to strengthen the protection on the stronghold so that can't happen again. Diana's Sight dreams assist in finding Carla, though they aren't able to determine who the abductor is... until later.
While Win is learning his new job as Guardian, finally reaching his dreams, Diana is adjusting to life in the Balance, still refusing to worship Goddess because She forced Diana into a very unhappy life growing up, reason being that Diana needed that to learn strength and fully appreciate her gifts and accept the Balance. Win and Diana are also still learning to grow together as lifemates, their conflicting views causing much tension between them, on the brink of tearing them apart.
When Sulis, Win's sister is drawn into the web of the man who abducted Carla, destroying her mind in the process, Win and Diana must put their differences regarding Goddess aside so as to rescue Su from the evil man who has her. Diana must also come to terms with her feelings and decide once and for all if she will dedicate her life to Goddess and the Balance.
This tale is first and foremost a love story, the continuation of Win and Diana's growth as a couple and their love for one another and their acceptance of each others' beliefs and dreams. The characters, not just these two, but all of them, are skillfully rendered and fully developed. One learns what makes them be whom they are, focusing on back-story just enough to understand their reasons for being as they are.
There is plenty of plot to be found, the character driven storyline of Win and Diana's relationship, as well as the action driven plot surrounding Carla's kidnapping and resulting trauma, and Su's relationship with the villain. Magick, of course, is a key element in all the plotlines, in the form of a good vs. evil struggle with a twist.
Ms. Taffs once again lovingly creates the Realm of the Balance, showing her attention to detail and her vivid imagination by crafting a world of magick, love, and beauty, that the reader can't help but be drawn into, never wanting to leave. This reviewer loved her second visit to the Balance, hoping there will be more books from the pen of Mary Taffs, and future visits to such an incredible world. This story will convince the reader that More than Magick can be found everywhere, if only one looks for it.
The reader will be captured for the very first gripping scene, vivid and detailed, and not let go until the end, riding through a roller coaster of adventure and love, all the way to the incredible climax. One does not have to read the prequel, Magick, to follow the story, but it will fill in some of the recent history leading to events happening here, making this story all the more intriguing.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2003. All rights reserved.
Books:
- The Water-Method Man
- The Woman Who Waited: A Novel
- Third Girl from the Left
- Timbuktu: A Novel
- Troll: A Love Story
- True Valor (Uncommon Heroes, Book 2)
- Under the Skin: A Novel
- Until I Find You: A Novel
- Virgin: Prelude to the Throne
- Ways of Dying: A Novel
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