Hellblazer: The Devil You Know (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Graphic SF Reader
  • Solid collection of early Hellblazer tales
  • OK, but disappointing
Hellblazer: The Devil You Know (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
Jaime Delano
Manufacturer: Vertigo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401212697

Book Description

John Constantine is an unconcerned, amoral occultist with aBritish working-class background.He's an anti-hero who manages to comeout on top through a combination of luck, trickery and genuine magic skill.V FOR VENDETTA illustrator David Lloyd provides painted artwork for thetale of an encounter with a strange woman who is the embodiment of theworld's horrors.This volume also features some of Constantine's earliestadventures including his first victory in the long war with the demonNergal.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Original Sins is some early Hellblazer work by Jamie Delano. This is back from the 1980s era, and is definitely more overtly political than some of what comes later. This is also the time that Swamp Thing was a character or perhaps a similar style, so the two crossed paths a little bit, so that may be of interest to some.


4 out of 5 stars Solid collection of early Hellblazer tales.......2007-07-30

Though he was created by the great Alan Moore in the pages of Swamp Thing, John Constantine was really given his voice by Jamie Delano when Hellblazer was first launched. Providing Constantine with enough backstory, tragedy, and supporting characters to make him more than compelling than he already was in the first place, Delano got the character like few writers ever would in the years to come. The Devil You Know collects some of Delano's stories after Original Sins, which include Constantine meeting a woman unlike that he's never come across before, as well as going toe to toe with Nergal once again, and this time walking away with the upper hand. Though I myself was never really fond of Delano's work on the title the first time I read it, it grew on me, and the same thing happened here. Having artwork from V For Vendetta artist David Lloyd as well as Richard Piers Rayner and Mark Buckingham doesn't hurt either, rounding out a very solid book. All in all, what's contained here may not be as prolific as what we get in Dangerous Habits or Stations of the Cross, but The Devil You Know is definitely worth picking up for Hellblazer fans regardless.

3 out of 5 stars OK, but disappointing.......2007-07-18

The story really ends in the middle of this book and the art changes. No where near as good as "Dangerous Habits". Still OK though.
The Devil You Know: A Novel
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Strong, determind characters in this great novel
  • Trashy but fun
  • The Devil You Know: A Novel
  • Superbly Satisfying for Young Women
  • Fun, Well-written, and Substantial
The Devil You Know: A Novel
Louise Bagshawe
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 031299477X
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Book Description

New York....Smart, sexy Rose Fiorello grows up poor with nothing but a blistering hatred of Rothstein Realty, the developer that crushed her father's business....and a shocking plan to get even.Los Angeles....Pampered society princess Poppy Allen wants to escape the smothering cocoon of her parents' privileged life to embrace the excitement of becoming a rock star....or rock star maker.London....Plump, bullied Daisy Markham devours trashy bestsellers to escape her misery at boarding school....until she discovers that writing them can bring the acceptance-and man-she secretly desires.But as each of these gutsy women goes after her dreams, a brutal act committed long ago will suddenly explode their worlds-revealing the betrayal that stole the heritage of three baby girls.... uniting them now with one common passion: revenge.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Strong, determind characters in this great novel.......2007-07-22

What i love about Louise Bagshawe's books as that they have the ability to hook the reader. With juicy plot lines, handsome men and strong females. What i love about The Devil You Know... is that these three young women are so incrediably determined and driven to succeed. These characters have spunk! Rose's storyline is interesting, as it shows just how far one will go to extract revenge, but when she looks back at her life she really has nothing else. And you just know that underneath the blistering hatred Rose has for Rothstein Realty there lurks a powerful physical attraction to the youngest heir of the family fortune...
The Devil You Know is my favourite out of Louise's books.
Sure, if you put it up against some of her others, the plot isn't exactly new, but these books are such empowering reads that i can overlook that fact. Louise's books may not be serious novels, but they are wonderful escapism that gives you hope that even girls who have been wronged can rise to the top with a little determination, courage and attitude. By the end of the book i really wanted the guy to get what was coming to him.
All in all a very good read, one that i have read several times over in fact. I look forward to many more from this very talented author.

3 out of 5 stars Trashy but fun.......2005-11-06

This book is not one that you will rave about to your friends but it tells a good enough story to keep you reading. It is actually more like 3 and a half stars.

In a nutshell, three sisters (triplets!) are separated at birth after an act of betrayal by their uncle causes the death of their parents. Each of the girls grows up differently from the others and pursues an interesting career.

We get to know each girl very well and we understand what drives them and how they each become successful at their chosen careers.

Without revealing the ending, the girls do meet up and revenge is exacted against the uncle.

This book is not fine literature but makes for an enjoyable enough read if you are stuck inside on a rainy day.

5 out of 5 stars The Devil You Know: A Novel.......2005-07-07

This is my 4th read, and like always, I truly enjoy this book, and now I own it. This book has that "power" to just grab you to the point that you never want to put it down - it is a true page turner. It was interesting to see what path each of the sisters would take, and how these paths would eventually cross to bring them together for their "first" meeting. This meeting of the sisters was satisfaction in itself. I was all for their dressing down of their "uncle." He was the devil himself. Did he not know that jealousy never lives long, that no matter what, it always comes back to bite the hand that fed it? My hat's off to Louise Bagshawe, who has become one of my favorite writers. Thank you, Louise!!

4 out of 5 stars Superbly Satisfying for Young Women.......2005-06-28

I love this book for many reasons, the main one being that it portrayed three young women who, by their own will, determination, and intelligence, and (okay, okay), beauty made it to the top of their fields. I really have seen very few novels in the market today who portray females as such vibrant young women who have dreams and are willing to work to fulfill them. Louise Bagshawe does an absolutely superb job of forming three intensely rich characters that are incredibly realistic. Each of the women, though portrayed as independent and strong, still have their own insecurities--Bagshawe really blends the two sides well together and as a result crafted beautiful characters to read about.

The novel itself is pretty much (for most of the book) split into three perspectives (one for each of the girls) and at the end, the three become one--and that's where my only complaint lies. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say this: I thought the ending was a slight letdown, and unfortunately, I was afraid it was going to be. As you read on about each character's life, you know that they will eventually meet, and once they do, well, the uniqueness of each girl is just slightly lost, and from that point on, the plot is very predictable, and the book just isn't as fun to read.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed every bit of this book (until it began to wind down) and I really would suggest it to anyone--male and female, though I would want my daughter to read it (if I had one) simply because it shines a positive light on young independent women. :-)

4 out of 5 stars Fun, Well-written, and Substantial.......2005-02-17

Louise Bagshawe is a very good writer who manages to deliver romantic payoff without indulging in too many standard cliches. At the same time, she develops her female characters so they feel complex and real. You'll likely enjoy this book if you're a fan of chick lit or if you enjoy women's fiction that promises a happy ending.

This book intertwines the stories of three women who end up connected by the close of the story. Each is ambitious and gunshy when it comes to relationships with men. Most of the book deals with their developing careers, and the ups and downs they experience as they strive to be as powerful and successful as they can be. They also each have a significant romantic relationship that challenges them emotionally.

If you normally devour romance novels, you might find yourself wishing for a little less focus on the women's careers and more on romance. Also, Bagshawe doesn't develop her male characters as well as she does her female. Finally, if you've read other books by this author, you might grow tired of the fact that everything always takes place in the world of the big city rich, there's a lot of designer label name-dropping, and all the women are incredibly beautiful, even if they don't know it.

But this is one of Bagshawe's most satisfying reads, and she blends the three different strands of the story very well.
The Devil Knows You're Dead: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Gritty writing, but not much drama for a Scudder
  • Excellent ...
  • A Very Good Book (But An Average Mystery)!
  • B-O-R-I-N-G
  • The Devil Knows that this is a Great Scudder Novel
The Devil Knows You're Dead: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel
Lawrence Block
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380807599
Release Date: 1999-08-03

Book Description

In this city, there is little sense and no rules. Those who fly the highest often come crashing down the hardest -- like successful young Glenn Holtzmann, randomly blown away by a deranged derelict at a corner phone booth on Eleventh Avenue. Unlicensed p.i. Matt Scudder thinks Holtzmann was simply in the wrong place at the worst time. Others think differently -- like Thomas Sadecki, brother of the crazed Vietnam vet accused of the murder, who wants Scudder to prove the madman innocent. But no one is truly innocent in this unmerciful metropolis --including Matther Scudder, whose curiosity and dedication are leading him to dark, unexplored places in his own heart...and to passions and revelations that could destroy everything he loves.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Gritty writing, but not much drama for a Scudder.......2003-09-04

Let me preface by saying I'm a huge Scudder fan, so the three star rating is compared to the entirety of the Scudder saga. In this entry, the clean and ostensibly happily domesticated Scudder is hired by a vagrant's brother to clear the vagrant of a shooting. The victim happens to be a distant acquaintance of Scudder's, and though Matt didn't like the guy much, he ends up having a desultory kind of affair with his widow. Meanwhile the accused killer is himself killed in prison, leaving a stubborn Scudder to attack the closed case (or as his cop friend puts it, "trying to give a dead horse mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" --- love that noir dialogue). This is only an average Scudder entry, which means that it's a bleak look at a seedy world, rife with witty dialogue and sharp insights into AA philosophy. Probably because the case here is so cold, however, a lot of drama in the sense of personal danger or action is lacking. There's much of the traditional amoral, detatched soul-searching, which is terrific, but none of the rough justice Scudder usually hands out.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent ..........2002-11-06

Captivating story .. this one will keep you burning the midnight oil and turning those pages. Lots of Mick Ballou in this one .. personally, I love Mick. If you enjoy his character, this will definitely be a book you shouldn't miss. This falls about 2/3 of the way in the Scudder series to date. I couldn't put this one down from the second I started it.

4 out of 5 stars A Very Good Book (But An Average Mystery)!.......2002-02-18

The Devil Knows You're Dead is a very well written book that held my interest throughout -- however, I have been a big fan of this series from the beginning. Mystery fans who are looking for lots of action and suspense may want to skip this book. Relative to several of the other books in this series, there is considerably less physical violence and more --much more-- of a concentration on the emotional havoc and angst that Matthew Scudder is experiencing as he makes his way through his topsy-turvy world. The cases Scudder is working on in The Devil Knows You're Dead are interesting but they are not exciting and action-based. So, if this is what you're looking for in a mystery you probably should choose another book. If you enjoy great character development, interesting and likable secondary characers, vivid and accurate descriptions of the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton section of NYC, then treat yourself to this very good book. Keep in mind it's not the best book in this series but it's one I think you'll enjoy. However, I would strongly recommend that if you haven't read any of the books in this series, you first read at least one or two of the earlier books (e.g., When The Scared Ginmill Closes, A Ticket To The Boneyard, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, A Walk Among The Tombstones, etc.) before reading The Devil Knows You're Dead. These books will familiarize you what the world of Matthew Scudder has been like. This book serves pretty much as a vehicle to further evolve the main character of Matthew Scudder and to let you know where he's moving to in his life.

2 out of 5 stars B-O-R-I-N-G.......2002-02-04

I did not chose this book, it was required for a writer's workshop. When I sit down to read a detective novel I expect it to be about detecting. In The Devil Knows Your're Dead I was not the least bit interested in the personal issues / problems of the main character of this novel. The murder happens on page 17 of 316 and there is absolutely zero progress on solving the crime until about 231 pages into it. The intervening pages are mired in musings about alcoholism, transexuals, the morality of suicide, yada, yada, yada. B-o-r-i-n-g. I guess there is a market for this type of mystery (...) but give me Christie, Stout or Sayers and I'm happy. You can keep Block all to yourself.

5 out of 5 stars The Devil Knows that this is a Great Scudder Novel.......2001-06-30

As if Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series wasn't already the quirkiest private detective series around, "The Devil Knows You're Dead," is Scudder's most unconventional story yet. Superficially, the novel is about Scudder's attempt to prove that a deranged homeless man did not randomly gun down a successful lawyer. But actually, the novel is a dissertation about death and the choices one makes in life. During his investigation, Scudder's ex-girlfriend Jan Keane discloses to him that she has terminal cancer and asks him to procure a gun so that she can end her life before the pain consumes her. Meanwhile, Scudder and his current love, the former call girl Elaine Mardell, are moving closer together, even as Scudder becomes more restless and Elaine begins to question the direction of her own life. To top it off, Scudder's restlessness causes him to begin an affair with the dead lawyer's wife that he is ashamed of but unable to stop. This causes him to question whether he will be able to continue his sobriety despite over ten successful years in AA.

All of this accompanies a mystery that is interesting in and of itself, but not nearly as menacing as most Scudder mysteries. The recurring charater of the street kid TJ also shows some progression in his life during the story while assisting Scudder's investigation. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this novel as the place to start reading Scudder since to truly enjoy it requires a lot of the previous background of the characters. But for those who already know how good the Scudder novels are it is a must read.
Clive Barker's Pinhead # 1 (The Devil You Know)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Clive Barker's Pinhead # 1 (The Devil You Know)
    D.G. Chichester
    Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Comic

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    ASIN: B000N47NIA
    The Devil Knows You're Dead. A Matthew Scudder Novel.
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Devil Knows You're Dead. A Matthew Scudder Novel.
      Lawrence Block
      Manufacturer: New York William Morrow and Com. 1993.
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover
      ASIN: B000LQT9GE
      The Devil You Know: A Novel
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • As much fun for the author as it was for me
      • If you love run on prose, you'll love Wayne Johnson
      • a true thiller
      • Pretty good
      • Interesting
      The Devil You Know: A Novel
      Wayne Johnson
      Manufacturer: Shaye Areheart Books
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

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      1. Don'T Think Twice Don'T Think Twice

      ASIN: 0609609645
      Release Date: 2004-03-16

      Book Description

      When Max Geist plans a rugged canoe trip on the rivers of Northern Minnesota, fifteen-year-old David fears that dealing with his father--an opinionated, stubborn, novice outdoorsman--will be the roughest part of their journey. Little does he know that once he enters the unforgiving wilderness his life, and that of his family, will be irrevocably changed.

      At the start of their trip, David's father and younger sister, Janie, briefly cross paths with a group of men who, unbeknownst to the Geist family, are on the lam. Fearing the family may have learned too much about them, the outlaws decide to track down the unknown man and his daughter and, if need be, silence them. When they find the family's campsite, David is away; he returns to find his father in a life-or-death struggle with one man and his sister being savagely attacked by another. David, extraordinarily strong for his age, saves Max and Janie's lives and, in the process, kills a man. But the second man escapes, and David knows he has a partner . . . and that it is only a matter of time before they come back to finish the job they started. The outlaws become the only predators to fear in the wild as the Geist family is hunted down like animals--and uninjured David is the family's only hope for survival. As they tread through the snow-covered rocky terrain in search of safety, what began as a family bonding trip becomes a test of David's mental and physical limits, a journey into manhood and the responsibilities that come with it.

      The Devil You Know combines the breathtaking intensity of a first-rate literary thriller with the complexity and poignancy of a classic coming-of-age novel. This is a spellbinding suspense novel with heart and soul, a story that will keep you riveted until the very last page.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars As much fun for the author as it was for me.......2007-10-07

      This was a very fast read. Thoughtful, well written, paints an ethereal landscape using words the way JMWTurner uses oil. Thoroughly enjoyable. Read it over a weekend.
      As it read it, it occurred to me the author had fun writing this book-however morose and heartbreaking some of the content.

      1 out of 5 stars If you love run on prose, you'll love Wayne Johnson.......2007-01-19

      And The Devil You Know falls just a BIT short of Deliverance and moves slowly and the perilous cedar canoe and the granite lakes ready to rip open the cedar canoe and the really bad guys and the dysfunctional family and the would be track star that smokes and the predictability and the drawn out passages that fill paragraphs all make for a novel that a 12th grader couldn't get a passing grade on and I just can't take another page of endless run ons and I'm sure as an author he knows what they are and I can't continue to write this tripe and I can't bring myself to finish the novel and you can be sure I'll never buy another of his novels and don't bother with this POS.

      5 out of 5 stars a true thiller.......2005-08-02

      i read this book at work and had to stop reading it at times because i wasn't paying attention to the phones, or wouldn't see people coming in. once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down.

      4 out of 5 stars Pretty good.......2005-07-22

      This was a really good book, the plots and ideas really keep you moving along, though near the end you feel like it should be over (still worth it to finish until the end). Only real problem I had with it is that it was a little difficult to read, what I mean is the way it was written was hard to follow along with at times.

      4 out of 5 stars Interesting.......2004-11-12

      I normally do not read best-sellers or "page-turners," but when I saw that the author was a teacher at the Iowa Workshop and that it was set in the Boundary Waters wilderness in the seventies (I went on two life changing trips in this area as a teen from Chicago in the seventies) I was excited about reading this book. I enjoyed the book a great deal and stayed up later than normal each night reading it.

      I thought it was curious that the author is a writing teacher yet a lot of the story telling was, well, less succinct than a writing teacher would let a writing student get away with. Also, the writer, when he really gets in his element, has a peculiar way of using a lot of commas, which for me is distracting and decelerating - but I think this is his personal style and ultimately it works.

      Whenever I read a book like this my impression is that the writer isn't writing a book but is writing something they hope will be made into a movie. I don't know if this one will be filmed - I hope it will.
      Justice League International Quarterly No. 15
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Justice League International Quarterly No. 15
        michael jan friedman(A Hole in the World);Stephen seagle & mark tenney(Galway Girls);David Devries (The Devil You Know);charles moore(In a Different Light)
        Manufacturer: DC Comics
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Comic

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        ASIN: B000O7ZNDI

        Blackgod (Chosen of the Changeling)
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • Very Average
        • I wanted to like it, but...
        • A mature epic fantasy brought to a thrilling conclusion!
        • ...
        • Excellent
        Blackgod (Chosen of the Changeling)
        J. Gregory Keyes
        Manufacturer: Del Rey
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Mass Market Paperback

        Keyes, J. GregoryKeyes, J. Gregory | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0345418808
        Release Date: 1998-03-28

        Amazon.com

        The Blackgod brings the tale begun in The Waterborn to a satisfying conclusion. J. Gregory Keyes continues the adventures of Princess Hehzi of Nhol and her unwilling champion, Perkar of the Cattle People, as they struggle to survive the machinations of both the insatiable River God and his brother, the trickster Blackgod, Karak. This is epic fantasy at its best--original, richly textured, and filled with compelling characters.

        Hehzi and Perkar are with the Mang, nomadic, horse-worshiping people. Under the protection and guidance of a shaman, Brother Horse, Hehzi learns to control and use her ability to manipulate the spirit world. But Ghe, the priestly assassin Perkar beheaded in The Waterborn, has been restored by the River and sent after Hehzi, and another clan of the Mang has declared war on Perkar's people. Their shaman has had a vision that demands Perkar's death. And the Blackgod wants them to journey to the River's source and slay him. People who don't read epic fantasy can enjoy this high adventure. Fans of the genre may be reminded of Kate Elliott's Jaran series and Philip José Farmer's Riverworld saga. Don't be put off by the size of these books; Keyes has the storytelling power to carry you swiftly through them. --Nona Vero

        Book Description

        A mythic tale of magic, passion, and primal power.

        In the rich and tragic world beyond the River, magic springs from the elements--and danger, fear, and friendship each wait to claim their place in the grand design of life . . .

        Everywhere the River God touched, he ruled. But the world beyond his reach was a dangerous riot of gods, ghosts, and strange spirits. And in that ominous otherworld, Hezhi--the River's own daughter--fought to master the magic that was her birthright. Spurned, the River bent all his might and slumbrous cunning to the task of reclaiming his wayward child.

        Only the Blackgod saw a way for Hezhi to defeat the River once and for all.

        But the Blackgod was a creature of mystery and--perhaps--of limitless duplicity. To trust him might be the most perilous choice young Hezhi could make . . .

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars Very Average.......2006-01-19

        "The Blackgod" was written with the intention of achieving dull competency rather than greatness, or at least it certainly seems that way. The story begins with Hezhi and Perkar hiding out among the Mang. Meanwhile Ghe, last seen getting dismembered at the end of "The Waterborn", awakes as a ghoul with a mission. The situation is unstable, however. The Changeling still hopes to reclaim Hezhi for his own purposes, a rival Mang Shaman shows interest, and the titular Blackgod and others are scheming their own schemes.

        As I said, it has competency. In the end everybody's motives are revealed and they all make sense. There's acceptable pacing, and everything wraps with a massive seventy-page action sequence. But the ending is unbelievably trite and Disney-esque. Various minor characters get carelessly killed off while the big boys (and girls) are never in any danger. "The Blackgod", in the end, totally fails to stand out from the common herd. Focused as it is on hitting all the exposition necessary for making a coherent story, it provides nothing special.

        2 out of 5 stars I wanted to like it, but..........2005-08-16

        I wanted to like "Blackgod" more, but it just didn't happen.

        When I was younger, I felt compelled to finish a book regardless of the quality. After slogging through this one for a few weeks, though, I finally skimmed the last third and moved on. Time is more precious these days.

        It wasn't that there was anything terribly wrong with it-- I just failed to find anything that gripped me. The first book in the series was slightly better, but this one seemed insubstantial. I found the story mildly engaging at times, but the characters felt hollow.

        I'll admit that my perspective was likely skewed by that fact that I got hooked by another book just after starting this one. And I kept coming back to that one, even though I already read it less than two years ago. (It happened to be "A Song for Arbonne" by Guy Gavriel Kay. His books aren't necessarily for everyone, but I find his works written after the Fionavar Tapestry to be unbelievably engaging.)

        Again, take this review with a grain of salt. I've read *way* too many fantasy books over the years to be satisfied by middle of the road anymore.

        4 out of 5 stars A mature epic fantasy brought to a thrilling conclusion!.......2005-07-18

        Perkar's rash, ham-handed efforts to respond to Hezhi's almost unwitting call for help have opened a hornet's nest of trouble. Their flight from the city of Nohl to escape the Changeling has left behind them a trail of mayhem, death and destruction - Perkar's people, the cattle farmers, and the Mang, accomplished horse breeders, riders and worshippers are now at war; Perkar has slain and beheaded Ghe, the Jik assassin, but through the intervention of the Changeling's power, Ghe has been resurrected as a powerful ghoul who now claims to "love" Hezhi; and, in the fashion of the Greek and Roman pantheon, gods and half-gods squabble and tamper with the lives of man but their motives are murky, confusing and a good deal less than altruistic. Karak, the Raven, or the Blackgod, seems to have developed a particular fondness for Perkar, Hezhi and their small band of travelers. Much to Hezhi's utter dismay, fear and anger, he discloses to her that her destiny is at She'leng, the source of the River, where she will find the power to defeat the Changeling. But all Hezhi really wants is to be left alone. As the story unfolds, the gods' relentless tinkering with the world results in nobody knowing who to believe in or who to trust.

        In The Blackgod, Keyes has moved well beyond The Waterborn and expanded Chosen of the Changeling into a truly mature epic fantasy with amazing breadth and scope. The animist pagan theology introduced in The Waterborn is explored in wonderful depth and detail. In a concept strikingly reminiscent of the Christian idea of Trinity and yet still wonderfully original and imaginative, Perkar's and Hezhi's gods - Balati the One-Eyed Lord, Karak the Raven, Ekama the Horse Mother and the Huntress - are revealed as manifestations of a single god united in their quest to eliminate the incessant, overpowering evil of the Changeling. As the war between them advances to a climax, the Mang and Perkar's people, the cattle farmers, come alive with rich and colourful detail including traditions and beliefs, costumes, history and language. Questions about the history and meaning of the priesthood and their temple in Nhol left unanswered at the end of The Waterborn are resolved with a dazzling twist. Heroes, heroines and villains alike are well-constructed, realistic and are allowed to develop and mature into different characters with strengths, weaknesses and human frailties.

        Although we are reasonably certain of the eventual "winner" of the conflict, the story-telling never becomes maudlin or trite and remains entirely unpredictable and compelling. Of course, that has a great deal to do with the fact that until the very end, we're not really certain of who the bad guy really is. I said it about The Waterborn and I'm thrilled to be able to say it again for The Blackgod: "An unforgettable fantasy replete with all the requisite elements - a pretty damsel in distress, heroes and their sagas, gods, battles, good and evil, with lots of credible dialogue to bring it home! Did I mention a couple of plot twists that would make the most jaded thriller or mystery reader's eyes light up?"

        If you enjoy an epic fantasy, you won't want to miss The Blackgod, second entry in The Chosen of the Changeling.

        4 out of 5 stars ..........2001-03-20

        This one is very good, not as good as the first, but I still majorly recommend it. If you liked the first one then you will definatly like this one.

        5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2001-01-07

        I found this to be as strong as the first novel, and just as much fun. A reading adventure.
        The Blackgod
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Blackgod
          Greg Keyes
          Manufacturer: Orbit
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          FantasyFantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
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          1. The Waterborn The Waterborn
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          ASIN: 1857236637
          Blackgod :Chosen of the Changeling 2
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Blackgod :Chosen of the Changeling 2
            J Gregory Keyes
            Manufacturer: BALLANTINE BOOKS @
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000UCW1UA
            The Blackgod
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Blackgod
              J. Gregory Keyes
              Manufacturer: Del Rey
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback
              ASIN: B000OV7B02

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              7. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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