The Ex Factor: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Good Read

Couldn't even finish it

Drama Is Their First Name

too much drama

EX FACTOR

The Ex Factor: A Novel
Tu-Shonda Whitaker
Manufacturer: One World/Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Sisters | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Thong on Fire: An Urban Erotic Tale

ASIN: 0345486668
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

This emotional, erotically-charged novel follows three half-sisters and their complicated relationships with one another and with the men in their lives.

Celeste thinks all she wants in life are her family and a nice home in the suburbs. Yet lately she’s got a hunch that her sexy husband, Sharief, a New York City policeman, is patrolling more than just the streets. Celeste is sure he’s cheating on her. When she finds out that the home-wrecker is none other than her own sister Monica, all hell breaks loose.

Monica never intended to fall in love with her sister’s husband. But who knew that Sharief would make every inch of her body tingle with a single touch? Monica knows she should have righted her wrong before Celeste found out, but she’s in too deep–in more ways than one.

Imani is not pleased that her low-life boyfriend, Walik, just got out of the slammer and wants her back. Sure enough trouble comes knocking. But when a fine Puerto Rican DJ named Kree seduces her and showers her son, Jamal, with attention, Imani finally gets a shot at happiness and ghetto-free love.

Fielding the curve balls tossed their way, Celeste, Monica, and Imani learn that it takes more than sisterhood to cope with love, life, and men–the ones they’ve got, and that elusive ex factor.

Customer Reviews:

Good Read.......2007-08-28

the book started off with a bang..and kept it going...Mamma Byrd was crazy....she really made the book when her and Buttah always got into it....a must read

Couldn't even finish it.......2007-08-16

I'm sorry to say it, but this book was trash. I couldn't even finish reading it. "Urban fiction" has become incresingly popular lately, and being the book lover that I am, I jumped on the bandwagon as well. But the language and the content in this one was just too much. I mean, I felt disrespected just reading it. And if you're going to assualt with me with all the vulgarity, can you at least have a storyline worth reading? The plot of the story was definitely missing in action. Too many authors who write in this genre just rehash the same stories and characters over and over again, just with different names and in different hoods.

I suggest Miss Whitaker takes some notes from my girl Nikki Turner, who writes in the same genre yet has some class to her writing. Her plots are interesting, well thought out, and unique. Yet she still supplies the drama we love to read about. For those of you considering this novel, if you can't resist - rent (from the library).

Drama Is Their First Name.......2007-08-05

I'm a die hard Tushonda fan and i loved this book! it was def. filled with drama, heart-break, sex, infidelity,laughs, and breakfast messing up your kitchen! i loved all the characters esp. mama byrd & Kree (he was fine just the way she described him) get this book it's a good read.

too much drama.......2007-07-22

this was my first book from this author and it was a okay read but just too over the top too-ghetto-fied the only reason i continune to read was to see what the lady with the portapotty was up too she was funny and that too grown little boy(6) was doing .dysfuntional ,since i brought this book at a discount bookstore i will not be asking for my money back i have this authors other 2 books maybe i will read those to see if im going to buy anymore of her books

EX FACTOR.......2007-07-08

THIS BOOK WAS FUNNY AS H*** ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK WAS OFF THE HOOK. I THINK THIS WAS TU SHANDA'S BEST ONE YET.

Average customer rating:

good read
New Beginnings
Great short reads
Enjoyable Read
Good Read

Kiss the Year Goodbye
Brenda L. Thomas , Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker , Crystal Lacey Winslow , and Daaimah S. Poole
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1416527095

Customer Reviews:

good read.......2007-07-06

4 Great stories .........As always Tushonda storie was funny !!
I enjoyed them all they all tugged at my heart strings Smile

I think I enjoyed The story about Jovie and London the most , I like the way it was written with the lil facts thrown in here and there. I also felt like I was counting steps with jovie as she was walking Smile Very well written.

I'm kinda of late on this one but if was good.

New Beginnings.......2007-06-08

If you enjoy various stories from various authors - please read this book. It is very interesting and a page-turner.

Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Great short reads.......2007-05-14

If you you don't have a lot of time and want to get in a quick story, this is a good book.

Enjoyable Read.......2006-09-12

I really bought this book due to "Whatever It Takes". I really like the story because I can definitely relate. "Dangerously In Love" was another story altogether; I just kept having this feeling that Joy/Jovie were the same; but I kept reading the story hoping that perhaps the ending was different; Old dog(London)thought with his johnson on that; then in "My Boo", why would it take for you to go half way across the country to realize that the person you are with was not for you? Interesting read.

Good Read .......2006-07-08

I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book. This was my first time reading Ms. Whitaker's work. I liked her use of the fill in characters, Mr Marcus and JuJu made me laugh out loud.
Ms. Thomas has written hotter novels but I wasn't disappointed. Ms. Winslow adds a different twist to the typical love story and lastly, Ms. Poole gives a good example of the grass not always being greener.

Average customer rating:

Tu aliento (The Scent of Your Breath)
Melissa P.
Manufacturer: Alfaguara / SUMA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Italian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Product Description

A breathless autobiographical novel from the author of 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed. Melissa, the 19-year-old protagonist, is living with Thomas, a young man she loves helplessly. Thomas's casual friendship with Viola prompts doubts about his fidelity that gradually lead to paranoia. Written as a confessional letter to her mother, the story is one of dark obsession, violent lust, and soul-destroying talent. A novel that blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy and delves deep into the disturbing yet familiar mind of a teenage girl. Description in Spanish: Un pasaje de ida", le pide al empleado de la agencia de viajes. Melissa es una muchacha en fuga. De la tierra que la vio nacer, de una familia cariñosa pero despiadada, de un hombre que la ha desenmascarado. De un juego imposible de ganar hacia un futuro que promete acogerla sin hacer demasiadas preguntas. Al principio, Melissa consigue encerrar bajo llave a aquel demonio interior que ha dominado sus palabras, sus gestos, sus pensamientos desde que era una niña. Pero pronto se da cuenta de que solo ha ganado una de las tantas batallas contra su propia naturaleza oscura. La guerra es larga. En poco tiempo, de hecho, una simple sospecha se transforma en una obsesión, en celos ciegos que amenazan destruir todo aquello por lo que ha luchado tan duramente. ¿Quién es Viola? ¿Qué son esas sombras que le susurran al oído? etar esas terroríficas visiones nocturnas, aquella libélula que parece espiar cada uno de sus movimientos? Y su historia de amor, ramente destinada a morir? Visceral y romántica, onírica y sensual, Tu aliento es una novela extrema y preciosa, donde la frontera entre realidad y fantasía se difumina página tras página, revelando una escritora única, de gran talento y enorme coraje.

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Princess Tu Tu Volume 2 (Princess Tutu)
Mizuo Shinonome
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413902359

Book Description

Ahiru's transformation into Princess Tutu has fulfilled her life-long fantasy, but her charmed new life is not a ballerina's fairytale. Jealousy rules her new magical kingdom, and an envious Princess Kraehe will continue to thwart Ahiru's efforts to win her broken-hearted prince. Princess Tutu will have to toss her tiara aside and become a soldier to fight for the heart of the boy she loves.

Tu magia me enamora / Your Magic Makes Me Love You (Manga Yaoi)

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Tu magia me enamora / Your Magic Makes Me Love You (Manga Yaoi)
Syuho Sato
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Crumb Obras Completas: Conoce a Tu Enemigo / Crumb Complete Comics: Know Your Enemy (Crumb Complete Comics)/ Spanish Edition

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Crumb Obras Completas: Conoce a Tu Enemigo / Crumb Complete Comics: Know Your Enemy (Crumb Complete Comics)/ Spanish Edition
Robert Crumb
Manufacturer: Public Square Books
ProductGroup: Book
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General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Crumb shows us here that one can be tremendously critical without being a propagandist, that one can challenge both the masses and minorities while defending them at the same time, that exasperation and consternation are not in conflict with humor and laughter. Profiles of Robert Crumb have been produced by Newsweek, People, Time and the BBC. Crumbis also a major motion picture based on the artist's life; it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Shows off his boundless imagination, iconoclastic worldview, and masterful draftsmanship. --Booklist

Cuentos de navidad/Christmas stories: Llena tu corazon con el espiritu de la paz y del amor/Fill your heart with the spirit of peace & love

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Cuentos de navidad/Christmas stories: Llena tu corazon con el espiritu de la paz y del amor/Fill your heart with the spirit of peace & love
Jose de Jesus Lopez
Manufacturer: Panorama Mexico
ProductGroup: Book
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Go Ask the River
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Moliere Tu (Major European Authors Series)
Howarth
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Sueno en el pabellon rojo/ Dream of the Red Chamber: Memorias De Una Roca/ The Story of the Stone

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Sueno en el pabellon rojo/ Dream of the Red Chamber: Memorias De Una Roca/ The Story of the Stone
Cao Xueqin , and E. Gao
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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boudica dreaming the bull
Boudica: Dreaming the Bull (Boudica Quadrilogy (Paperback)) (Boudica Trilogy)
Manda Scott
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle (Boudica Quadrilogy (Paperback)) (Boudica Trilogy)

Boudica: Dreaming the Hound (Boudica Quadrilogy) (Boudica Trilogy)

Dreaming the Serpent-Spear

Dreaming the Hound (Boudica Trilogy)

Dreaming the Serpent Spear: Boudica 4

ASIN: 0385337744
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Book Description

The second part of the stunning fictionalization of the life of Britain’s warrior queen, Boudica, immerses us in a world of druids and dreamers, warriors and lovers, passion and courage. Originally a trilogy, this is now a four-part series.

“Boudica” means “Bringer of Victory” (from the early Celtic word “boudeg”). She was the last defender of the Celtic culture; the only woman openly to lead her warriors into battle and to stand successfully against the might of Imperial Rome -- and triumph.

Book one, Dreaming the Eagle, took readers from Boudica’s girlhood with the Eceni tribe to the climax of the two-day battle when she and her lover, Caradoc, faced the invading Romans. Believing her dead, Breaca’s beloved brother, Bán, joined the Roman cause.

Dreaming the Bull, the second book in this compelling series, continues the intertwined stories of Boudica, and Bán, now an officer in the Roman cavalry. They stand on opposite sides in a brutal war of attrition between the occupying army and the defeated tribes, each determined to see the other dead. In a country under occupation, Caradoc, lover to Breaca, is caught and faces the ultimate penalty. Only Bán has the power to save him, and Bán has spent the past ten years denying his past. Treachery divides these two; heroism brings them together again, changed out of all recognition -- but it may not be enough to heal the wounds.

Dreaming the Bull is a heart-stopping story of war and of peace; of love, passion and betrayal; of druids and warring gods, where each life is sacred and each death even more so; and where Breaca and Bán learn the terrible distances they must travel to fulfill their own destinies.

Through the summer, Cunomar came to recognize two different kinds of warriors. The smaller group consisted of those few men and women still alive who had known his mother before the two-day battle against the invading legions. These were her friends and they called her Breaca in the way Cunomar’s father and the innermost circle of the honour guard still did. The rest, who had met her only in battle or, worse, knew her only by reputation, gave the warrior’s salute in a way that was subtly different and hailed her as the Boudica, bringer of victory. She didn’t enjoy that, but in the short span of his life, Cunomar had watched his mother become more comfortable with name, so that it settled on her like a worn cloak and she did not stiffen at the sound of it.

He had heard her use the word herself for the first time that morning as a cold dawn sharpened the air and Nemain, the moon, lowered into her bed in the mountains. Breaca had stood on the back of her mare and addressed the massed ranks of warriors and dreamers, naming them all Boudegae, bringers of victory, and swearing before them that she would fight for as long as it took to rid the land of the invader. -- from Dreaming the Bull

Customer Reviews:

boudica dreaming the bull.......2007-01-10

having read dreaming the eagle and the hound this book is a natural follow on and has all the characters and exciting visions of our past ancestors and the way they lived and died. the two religions clashing ,the roman's and the britain's,and thier beliefs seemes even more important than the colonian aspirations of the romans trying to conquer britain. i loved all three that i have read and look forward to the next one.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant sequel
Good Follow-Up
Boudica Takes Back-Seat in Tale of Ban/Valerius
Ahhhh ...
Much better....

Dreaming the Bull (Boudica Trilogy)
Manda Scott
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0385336713
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Book Description

Download Description

The second part of the stunning fictionalization of the life of Britain's warrior queen, Boudica, immerses us in a world of druids and dreamers, warriors and lovers, passion and courage. Originally planned as a trilogy, this is now a four-part series.

"Boudica" means "Bringer of Victory" (from the early Celtic word "boudeg"). She was the last defender of the Celtic culture; the only woman openly to lead her warriors into battle and to stand successfully against the might of Imperial Rome—and triumph.

Book one, Dreaming the Eagle, took readers from Boudica's girlhood with the Eceni tribe to the climax of the two-day battle when she and her lover, Caradoc, faced the invading Romans. Believing her dead, Breaca's beloved brother, Bán, joined the Roman cause.

Dreaming the Bull, the second book in this compelling series, continues the intertwined stories of Boudica, and Bán, now an officer in the Roman cavalry. They stand on opposite sides in a brutal war of attrition between the occupying army and the defeated tribes, each determined to see the other dead. In a country under occupation, Caradoc, lover to Breaca, is caught and faces the ultimate penalty. Only Bán has the power to save him, and Bán has spent the past ten years denying his past. Treachery divides these two; heroism brings them together again, changed out of all recognition—but it may not be enough to heal the wounds.

Dreaming the Bull is a heart-stopping story of war and of peace; of love, passion and betrayal; of druids and warring gods, where each life is sacred and each death even more so; and where Breaca and Bán learn the terrible distances they must travel to fulfill their own destinies.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant sequel.......2006-07-04

Like most intelligent authors whose jumping-off point is history, Scott has woven her magic around a fictional character, with whose fate an author can take more liberties. We see and understand Boudica and Co. in the light of the story of Ban (Valerius), her fictional brother.

Scott reveals a depth of historical research in a vision of how things might have been. It's spellbinding, bewitching, drawing the reader in as if you are a participant. In the process, she weaves a heart-pounding tale of innocence, degradation, transformation, and redemption. She sees as the Dreamers do, both the larger patterns behind the everyday, and how the great events of history are driven by motivations quite personal and small.

It's breathtaking to stand with her and see patterns taking shape, to watch a soul be heated and hammered on the anvil of the gods.

Ban is a character more dimensional and fully-imagined than any I have ever read. You see a human soul in torment, who breathes and moves in his own personal hell. The innocent boy has become a man, molded and used, trying to balance the teachings of his tribal youth with the beliefs of his "civilized" manhood. The theme of blacksmithing runs through the books, and you see a human soul ripped from the earth of his native land, heated to glowing, pounded and shaped, plunged into darkness and cold, forged into a weapon of astonishing brightness and strength.

Scott really has a gift for opening and ending each book with a bang--she reaches out and wrenches your emotions, just to remind you how truly enslaved you were, and will be again. If you have interest in the human side of history, of ancient Britons in particular, these books are not to be missed.

Good Follow-Up.......2005-07-03

This is the second in a planned series of four books on Boudica. However, it's made fairly obvious from the beginning of this book that it is not *only* about Boudica. Ban, her (fictional, I believe) brother also gets a large amount of space dedicated to his life, as does Boudica's family. It's nice to get more points of view, from all over Italy and Britain and the places in between, but it also seems to veer a bit. That may be because still, at this point in the narration, very little actual history about Boudica is known. More is known about Caradoc, and so Scott spends a great deal of time on him.

While the Roman scenes are somewhat long, they are also highly charged and I really enjoyed reading them, for the emotional value they added to the book. The characters are very well-rounded and this book, more than the first, certainly made them flesh and blood.

Boudica herself doesn't get as much of a focus in this book, though I think that's mainly to allow the other characters to develop. I hope that she will come back in the next two books to make the decisive impact that she had on British and Roman history.

I enjoyed reading this book- it had more action than the first one, and was even more engaging as the characters became less "black and white" and more "gray." If you enjoyed the first book, then I recommend going on with the series. And even if you weren't TOO thrilled with the first, I'd give the second a try. But I wouldn't read the second until after finishing the first.

Boudica Takes Back-Seat in Tale of Ban/Valerius.......2005-05-26

Manda Scott continues her Boudica Trilogy with "Dreaming the Bull," a shorter sequel to her "Dreaming the Eagle." While the first story focused primarily on the rise of Breaca from promising girl to overpowering woman, "Dreaming the Bull" spends most of its time tracking the hellish existence of her brother, Ban. While we miss reading about Breaca, who is one heck of a character, the struggle for identity being fought by the soul of Ban/Valerius makes for some compelling reading.

In the first novel, Ban is separated from Breaca following an ambush. Mistakenly believing her dead and betrayed by Caradoc (the love of her life), Ban finds solace in the Roman army invading Britain and becomes known as Valerius to the Romans, and as the dead-eyed decurion on the pied horse by the Britons. Valerius abandons the gods of his ancestors, adopts the ways of the Roman soldier-god Mithras, and brings death and destruction to the Britons in his quest for vengeance against those whom, he believes, killed his beloved sister.

Breaca, mistakenly believing that Ban is dead, swears personal vengeance and undying hatred against the decurion who has slain so many of her people. "Dreaming the Bull" builds toward a fairly obvious climax -- the reuniting of Ban/Valerius and Breaca. Even though this reunion is expected, Scott tells her story with such style and power that both the journey and the reunion are worth the read.

Much of this novel is spent in Rome, and Scott shows a command of Roman life and politics - she shows that she is equally adept at creating the world of Breaca out of almost whole cloth as she is writing about Claudius' Rome, of which so much more is known. Eschewing the revisionist pro-Claudius take that has been in vogue thanks to Robert Graves' "I, Claudius," Scott gives us a Roman emperor who is delightfully corrupt, craven, and brilliant. Indeed, the entire Roman court seems appropriately populated by vipers, spiders, and other assorted dastardly vermin.

"Dreaming the Bull" is a story motivated primarily by sorrow and loss, which makes for a depressing read at times. Breaca's world is under dire threat, and both her larger society as well as her immediate family are in the gravest danger for the entire work. "Dreaming the Bull" is over 100 pages shorter than "Dreaming the Eagle," so the book is not nearly the slog that the first novel was, and the constant drumbeat of war is not nearly as numbing as it was the first time around. Perhaps "slog" is not fair -- Scott writes very well, and creates many scenes of great poignancy (the death of a beloved hound can be as moving as the death of a cherished parent), but the emotions are rather one-note, thanks to the war.

Scott has chosen to end "Dreaming the Bull" in a cliff-hanger of almost movie-serial proportions, leaving virtually no guidance as to how the next novel will play out. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward into diving into the final novel of this powerful, poetic trilogy.

Ahhhh ..........2005-01-17

I liked Dreaming the Bull because I had already fallen in love with the whole story by Scott in Dreaming the Eagle. I didn't like it as much, because we dwelt in Rome a lot.

Not that Scott's writing fell down, to the contrary; in fact, one of my favorite characters was acquired on the continent, the intractable pied Crow, the-former-Ban's new mount.

This is a necessary book, and the troubles the former Ban goes through, and the ways his life continues to continue (against his will) does seem to intimate that the gods have something planned for him.

I'm waiting anxiously for Dreaming the Hound and the following "Dreaming" books.

Much better...........2004-04-27

The second of Manda Scott's Boudica trilogy opens with the somewhat older Breaca (known as `The Boudica', Bringer of Victory) ambushing Romans in modern Wales. Removed from the Eceni, now of Mona, she has a son and a husband, Caradoc whilst on the other side of Britain, Ban, now firmly known as Julius Valerius, a duplicarius, is aiding Corvus in planning how they will defeat the Britons. Valerius has lost his powers as an Eceni and now is subservient to Mithras Sol.
Over the first hundred pages we follow Julius as he sweeps into the Silures territory in Rome's bid to disarm the tribes. One by one they find the blades of the Britons and destroy them, best epitomised when he locates Casselliovanus' sword and gives it to his new friend, the Thracian master of the Horse, Longinus Szvede. Together, under the guide of the Prefect Regulus they become the scourge of the Britons and the focus of the hatred of Breaca, Caradoc, Durogenes at al. After breaking out of one `salmon trap' laid by the Eceni, after Corvus nearly died and after Longinus and Julius also suffer injuries it culminates in Cunomar, Caradoc, Cygfa and Durogenes capture by Julius and removal to Rome for the Britannia Triumph.
Whilst there Caradoc manages to delay their executions by offering to prevent the Dreamers from killing the superstitious Claudius from afar in return for their lives and earns a temporary respite. This denied it is only during the Triumph itself where he challenges the emperor that he manages to secure all their lives in return for Claudius' own safety. During this period what is of more import is Caradoc's realisation that Julius is in fact the not-dead Ban and all the enormity that comes with that. Julius states his belief in Aminios' lies to Caradoc's frustrations though his own struggle with the inner voices of the Dreamers shows that he must eventually weaken to the truth.
On Claudius' death, they are freed and taken by Julius to freedom, though hotly pursued by the representatives of the newly elected Nero. After Caradoc is left alive but on the Italian shore the remainder return to Breaca and the inevitable hostile reunion as Ban and his sister meet again and she realises who he is. It ends with her sending him to Hibernia.
This second effort by Scott is much...much better than the first. Gone is the heavy insinuation that Celtic Britain was dominated by totem spirituality and more focus is on providing a tautly narrated story at the end of the invading Romans and the struggle to stop them by the British. The characters are more rooted in reality and likeable, their actions more in tune with their ages. Rome factors far more heavily in this and whilst there is a lack of actual scenery in Rome, the narration of the relationships during this time means it is not overly missed. Ban/Julius' inner struggle is more plausible and whilst you want him to return to his heritage, you suspect that complete acceptance of what he has done and how much he has betrayed his own people would cause an immediate breakdown. It'll be interesting to see how Scott resolves that dilemma in the next installments. One minor annoyance is the continued insistence by Scott on calling the Druids, `Dreamers', but it is not overly important.
I stated that first installment from Scott was easily put down, that it lacks any sort of gripping edge. Not so this one. It's not quite a one sitting read but it's close and certainly ensures I will look for eagerly for the third installment.
A major improvement.

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BOUDICA: DREAMING THE BULL.
Manda. Scott
Manufacturer: BCA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O9PVGA

Dreaming the Bull A Novel Of Boudica The Warrior Queen

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Dreaming the Bull A Novel Of Boudica The Warrior Queen

Manufacturer: Delacorte
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GZIUOC

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BOUDICA: DREAMING THE BULL
MANDA SCOTT
Manufacturer: BANTAM PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0593052633

Dreaming the Bull X22 Mixed Dumpbin (Boudica 2)

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Dreaming the Bull X22 Mixed Dumpbin (Boudica 2)
Manda Scott
Manufacturer: Bantam Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0552769797

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