Book Description
The first graphic novel from superstar action film director John Woo and written by Garth Ennis. Six hundred years ago long, before history's great explorers stole the credit for their feats, mighty Chinese treasure fleets set sail to reach every continent. These voyages of discovery left behind an evil legacy and a plot by a powerful Chinese sorcerer to dominate the world. The story begins in modern day Los Angeles where an ancient Chinese prophecy must be fulfilled. Seven men with nothing in common but their destinies must face the Son of Hell to save the world.
Customer Reviews:
What's in this one? How about a magical Chinese bloodline, unspoken abilities, evil sorcery, and, yes, beatdowns by prostitutes .......2007-07-02
New kid on the block Virgin Comics - I know; who that? - puts out this impressive graphic novel and, consequently, forces me to shell out my somewhat hard-earned cash. Until yesterday, I didn't even know this title existed and, if I hadn't peripherally glimpsed the arresting cover as I lurked in my local comic book store, I'd still be sadly unawares. John Woo's name was on the cover and, so, I just had to check it out. And, oboy. It turns out that John Woo's 7 BROTHERS, a trade paperback collecting the mini-series's gripping five issues, is spectacular. Suggested for mature readers (but I read it anyway), the story immerses you in the desperate doings of seven brothers (and one sister) as they contend against a seemingly omnipotent sorcerer. Conceptionalized by celebrated Chinese film director John Woo, scripted by Irishman Garth Ennis (PUNISHER, PREACHER, HITMAN), with interior art duties by Jeevan Kang (India), and covers rendered by Vampire Hunter D illustrator, Y. Amano (Japan), this is a comic book team of United Nations proportions, which nicely befits the theme of this series.
Here start the plot SPOILERS.
Here's the rather melodramatic plot breakdown: In 1421 (before Columbus, Magellan, and Cortez), vast Chinese fleets were sent on the Emperor's mandate to explore and map the world. But this venture bankrupts the nation of China, which then turns to a state of isolationism. Thus, after two years of far flung voyaging, the fleets are summarily recalled and all vestiges of the mission wiped out from all historical records. But there's a hint of an echo of a rumor that has been bandied about for centuries - that the fleets were, in fact, denied their welcome - that they, to this very moment, yet sail the haunted seas.
Cut to the present, as seven disparate but opportunistic men are lured in to Los Angeles by the promise of money. There, they are met by an enigmatic Chinese woman (and, naturally, she's hot) named Rachel Kai. Rachel narrates a strange story involving the fabled Chinese fleets, a corrupt sorcerer who styles himself the Son of Hell, and that sorcerer's clever but infinitely less powerful apprentice, who, once upon a time, attempted to save the world and was successful, for a time. But that time's done.
Now, events are set into motion which eventually ushers in the return of the Son of Hell, who is still very much consumed by dreams of world domination. That clever apprentice? He's planned for this, too. These seven men, hailing from all corners of the earth (Australia, Argentina, India, Nigeria, the Middle East, and the U.S.) and each possessing peculiar abilities, were brought together to save humanity from eternal subjugation. Seems that, irregardless of their nationality, they all share the same bloodline, their powers bequeathed down thru the centuries by the long-range planning of one lowly but resourceful apprentice.
SPOILERS end (mostly).
Scribe Garth Ennis has always had a penchant for turning out hard boiled characters. No different here as the villains are uncompromisingly evil and brusquely vindictive and will instantly dole out the ultimate harsh measure to gain their objectives. The lush Chinese mythology and mysticism, bridging hundreds of years to infect the present, contribute a dark, unearthly presence to the goings-on, but Ennis is careful to offset that with keeping his lead characters flawed, down-to-earth, and cynical. The chosen men, even as they admit to their own hidden powers, still react to the unfolding of outlandish events as you and I would if put in the same fantastical position. And, when these guys finally, reluctantly decide to join forces, they remain a contentious lot.
Now, granted, Ennis has his hands full as it's a challenge to individually flesh out a large cast of characters in a limited span of time. There is some character study, though it isn't ample. He almost does enough, though, as, with admittedly broad strokes, he delivers a sense of what each character is like. But, ruefully, as I read on, several of the seven gradually blended into the background. Ennis does do justice to one character, in particular: Ronald Wipes, who skulks in the 'hood with the self-nickname of Double-Double (because he's "twice the trouble"). Ronald is a ridiculous, small-time, and shockingly profane "pimp" from South Central L.A. who once got beat up 13 times in one week. In fact, the first time we see Ronald, he's getting viciously trampled by hoes. While the other six fellas were already cognizant of their respective talents, Ronald just doesn't seem to display any. Nevertheless, Ronald ends up becoming the most interesting and most humorous character in this series, and when his latent ability does finally surface, well...it's a doozy.
Two of the other protagonists do stand out, in my eyes: the seven's guide, Rachel Kai, who herself is unusually gifted. She's a cutie and very persistent. She gets her you-know-what handed to her several times but still remains implacable and unswerving. The other is the stately Nigerian Robert Akimbe, who has "super-sight" but who is reluctant to lead. In the opposite corner, the Son of Hell makes for a daunting villain, but, more than him, I really dug his bodyguard Zheng, who specializes in "conflict resolution" and can effortlessly scoop out his target's eyeballs with chopsticks. Simply put, in the street parlance of Double-Double, this dude is a baaad mamajama.
John Woo's idea is based on the classic folktale of the ten Chinese brothers, each of whom was gifted with an otherworldy trait. He embellished on this mythology and then handed the reins over to Garth Ennis. Now, Garth Ennis's blunt storytelling is historically marked with acute violence and hard-bit profanity, which proves to be ideal for this epic yet gritty mini-series. His pacing here, initially, does let up enough to fill in the reader with necessary exposition and for certain forces in the story to become aligned, but then it gains piledriver momentum as the seven become active participants, culminating in an all-out, no-holds-barred battle for the sake of humanity. Given, Ennis's concepts aren't necessarily trailblazing, but they're delivered with such in-your-face brazenness and visceral panache that you can't help but get sucked into the story. I still shake my head at what happens when the seven first meet up with the fearsome Zheng.
I don't know much about artist Jeevan Kang, other than he drew SPIDER-MAN: INDIA, which I haven't yet checked out. His art here is messily fabulous and often murkily rendered in shadows. It isn't exactly sexy but it's full of vitality, and his style does superbly convey the storyline's dark moods and tones, doing right by the grim fantastical structure set in a contemporary, urban background. Kang does well enough with the mundane stuff (ie: people in conversation or supping at meals) but he really excels in depicting the very brutal, highly graphic action sequences. As well, more credit goes to Kang who is partially responsible for the colors in the artwork. Mostly set in earthy tones, they help to lay down the brooding and gritty atmosphere. Overall, I like to think that both writer and artist manage to capture John Woo's stylish and poetic vision in violence, which seems to be a key essence of his craftsmanship.
This TPB also comes with added treats: a Frank Miller foreword; an informal biographical summation of the seven brothers; Artist's Commentary - Jeevan Kang talks about some of his favorite pages and why he likes them; the evolution of two scenes as they go from panel description to layout to pencils to final colors; variant covers; an afterword; and a 4-paged deleted sequence (Jack Donald returns to L.A.), shown here in pencil work.
*Sigh* I guess it's too much to ask that they do a movie version of this series, huh? Oh, well. Now, I'm not exactly sure if John Woo's SEVEN BROTHERS is a stand-alone mini-series or if a sequel is forthcoming. I would love for there to be one, and, certainly, the story's ending doesn't slam the door on that possibility. But, if this is all there is to the exploits of the seven brothers, well, color me content...No, wait, I take it back, dammit! I actually do want to read more about these guys and their cool powers (especially Ronald), and the brave Rachel Kai, and, of course, the ever ambitious but bald Son of Hell. Now, that guy, he *ahem* gets under my skin.
Average customer rating:
- A Page Turner!
- A High Schooler's View
- Pretty good Debut novel
- a unique perspective on the Tiananmen Square crackdown...
- A bold first novel
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Sons of Heaven: A Novel
Terrence Cheng
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0060002441
Release Date: 2003-05-27 |
Amazon.com
With Sons of Heaven, Terrence Cheng has crafted a personal and insightful look into the Tiananmen Square massacre and its participants. Inspired by the famous footage of the unknown man who stopped the tanks, Cheng creates a conjectural history for him in the character of Xiao-Di, an intelligent, opinionated young man raised by his grandparents in Beijing. The father of Xiao-Di's girlfriend, a supervisor at the employment bureau, helps him receive a scholarship to study at Cornell. After ending the relationship and returning to Beijing, Xiao-Di finds himself blacklisted from employment. Idealistic and angry, he joins the growing student movement centered in Tiananmen. Cheng intersects the narrative with Xiao-Di's brother Lu, a bitter, vicious soldier later ordered to capture him, and the character of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, combining history and speculation in an attempt to understand the violent response to the protests. With patience and understatement, Cheng offers a sympathetic glimpse into each man's inner life and motivations, revealing their shared experiences and tragedies. The author humanizes these stories with just the right amount of quietly stunning detail in his assured, elegant prose, such as the "sparkles over the Mao pins" on Lu's boyhood uniform, or in Deng's evocative dreams:
Here is a wolf-faced Mao, lean and sharp-eyed, his hair long and wavy framing the sides of his face. He smokes cigarette after cigarette, blowing clouds into the air of the blue night.… Mao stands with a rifle and blasts a shot into the night, and in the purple drop of evening stars shatter and rocket the sky.
A haunting, rare book, Sons of Heaven communicates the basic humanity of these characters and the true cost of their conflict. --Ross Doll
Book Description
Sons of Heaven is an epic novel set against the backdrop of one of modern history's most haunting events: the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In June 1989, the world watched in horror as China's military was mobilized to suppress a student movement that stood for peaceful democracy. Hundreds were killed; others say thousands. No one knows for sure.
But the image that remains most powerful is that of a lone young man, looking confused yet terribly brave, as he held his ground before a rolling line of tanks. Who was he, and why did he do what he did? No one has ever been able to determine his identity or fate. Within the pages of Sons of Heaven, in a stunning blend of history and fiction, Terrence Cheng has vividly created a life for this young hero and given him a voice.
Download Description
"PerfectBound e-book exclusive extras: Massacre at Tiananmen: A Short History, and Hauntings by Terrence Cheng Sons of Heaven is an epic novel set against the backdrop of one of modern history's most haunting events: the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In June of 1989, the world watched in horror as China's military was mobilized to suppress a student movement that stood for peaceful democracy. Hundreds were killed; others say into the thousands. No one knows for sure. But the image that remains most powerful is that of a lone young man, looking confused yet terribly brave, as he held his ground before a rolling line of tanks. Who was he, and why did he do what he did? No one has ever been able to determine his identity or fate. Within the pages of Sons of Heaven, in a stunning blend of history and fiction, Terrence Cheng has vividly created for this young hero a life, and given him a voice. Cheng constructs the young man's life as he goes away to America to complete his education. He falls in love with a beautiful young American girl who opens to him a free life filled with opportunity. When he returns to China he becomes embittered and disillusioned; only the potential for political change seems to revive him. Also portrayed is the story of the young man's older brother, an ardent member of the Red Army, who is ordered to capture his sibling. In the end, their political differences turn deadly. On one level this is a novel of history as played out in modern China, but first and foremost, it is about the universal ties of family and the difficult process of boys learning to become men.
Customer Reviews:
A Page Turner!.......2005-01-13
For me, this engaging book puts a deeply human face on what happened in Tiananmen Square. I found myself steeped in Chinese culture, learning about Chinese Communist ideology through the most accessible and personal means....good storytelling. The well developed plot centers on two brothers, one a soldier in the army and the other, a student protestor who had studied in America. This book is a page turner! I read it in three evenings!
A High Schooler's View.......2004-10-22
As a student in high school, I found this book surprisingly interesting and somewhat informative. Needing to pick a book about an event in the `80s for my history class, I concluded that the Tiananmen Square ordeal was of obvious great importance. I think that Cheng did a great job of combining history with fiction. Because I have a very limited background of what actually happened, I would have appreciated perhaps a bit more sound facts. However, the way that he weaved the main character's story along with his brother's and Deng Xiaoping's was remarkable.
By using a first-person point of view for the student (the main character) and an omniscient point of view for the soldier(the older brother) and Deng Xiaoping, Cheng's writing style is both though provoking and impressionable. The reader is shown all three points of views throughout the book, but I found myself really feeling for the "dissident". I thought the way Cheng depicted the emotion amongst the young Chinese students who were protesting was extremely admirable. He really built up the controversy and suspense nicely. However, what might be considered the climax (the student stalling the row of tanks), was probably introduced too soon in the book.
After the tank incident, the history part of the book seemed to subside. The book seemed to turn more into a book on Chinese culture than a historical account of Tiananmen Square. Either way, I still think that Cheng did a great job of showing a true account of what young people in China went through, both politically and personally. The relationship between the "dissident" and the "soldier" was extremely touching. So whether or not the book is more fiction, or more history, I definitely learned a great deal and am glad that I read it. I learned the gruesomeness of the massacre. I learned the commitment and devotion of those brave students. But perhaps more importantly, I learned the culture and perspective in China in the late 1980's.
Pretty good Debut novel.......2004-04-09
I stumbled across this book rather by accident but decided to read it because it looked somewhat compelling. This is a novel containing a fictionalized account of the Tiananmen Square incident. The story itself is told through the eyes of 3 different people so you get more of a whole perspective. We hear the story through the dissident protester (younger brother), through the soldier called into Beijing to help squash the rebellion (older brother) and through the eyes of the old Chinese ruler Deng Xiaoping. The younger brother Xiao Di has more liberal views and even attended college in America. While returning to Beijing he got caught up in some protests that had dire effects for him when the state dept. learned of his identity. His older brother Lu is a solider in the army and seems to be somewhat mentally facile, more or less doing what he's told and never really questioning that his orders may not be best for the people. Deng is shown as a semi-retired old man who doesn't quite understand how the people could doubt that he acted in their best interests and why they would want to cause a disturbance with the way things are presently. After all, aren't things better now than they were in the past? It's obvious while reading this book that the Author Cheng has done quite a bit of research. I felt that the book kept me interested in reading to see how events would turn out and also gave me a somewhat fresh perspective on how difficult and trying life can be under a state-controlled regime. It made me think of how we should all appreciate the freedoms and rights we've been granted in the United States. You also come to understand the reasons why the ruler Deng Xiaoping acts as he does even if you don't quite support his thoughts or ideas. All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It reads pretty quickly and I would recommend it. I hope this author continues to improve and give us more works in the future.
a unique perspective on the Tiananmen Square crackdown..........2004-03-09
Cheng offers a highly unique perspective on the Tiananmen Square crackdown. I only give it 3 stars because his style is a bit spartan for my taste and I probably won't reread it, but as LeVar Burton says, "Don't take my word for it." Sons of Heaven is actually quite mesmerizing in some parts, such as when Lu returns to question his grandparents, and of course the prologue's grim progression through the dark Beijing streets.
That reviewer from Washington who only read the first 30 pages really should have read the whole book before reviewing it. On page 169 of the paperback there is mention of the contract Xiao-Di signed promising to return to China after his American education, plus he had an obligation to care for his grandparents as well. That reviewer also frets over how unusual Xiao-Di is in that he doesn't try to stick around in the US longer, as most others do; if he'd read past the first few chapters, he would have noticed that Xiao-Di is different from the other students. And Cheng spends about 8 pages on Xiao-di's American experience, not 1. I think that this amount of pages is proportional to the importance of schooling in his life and later ideology; it's not very close to the core of the story. The book is about China, not Cornell or interracial dating or immigration, so to me 8 pages was plenty after considering the book as a whole. Concentrating on the Chinese student experience in America misses the entire point of the novel's commentary on socialist thought and its social consequences.
On the whole, a better-than-average book.
A bold first novel.......2003-08-12
Terrence Cheng writes a bold new novel re-imagining the circumstances surrounding the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. He has boldly (and some would say presumptuously) fictionalized the accounts of the man who famously held up a column of People's Army tanks by merely standing in front of them, and that of Deng Xiaopeng. Both of these stories would be difficult to tell in the hands of a lesser writer, but Cheng pulls it off admirably.
The novel isn't so much about the Tiananmen uprising as it is about how the uprising affected the main characters. That said, perhaps the most important scene in the book (holding up the column of tanks) comes too soon in the narrative. After reading that dramatic sequence, everything else that follows falls flat. It's no coincidence that Cheng's narrative loses steam in the beginning of the second half of the book.
That said, "Sons of Heaven" is an important work and an impressive debut novel.
Average customer rating:
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The Second Son of Heaven: A Novel of Nineteenth-Century China
C. Y. Lee
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0688051405 |
Book Description
This haunting debut novel invites us to explore the boundaries between beliefs, desires, obsessions, and madness. Karen Salyer McElmurray's story is set in Mining Hollow, Kentucky, where we meet Ruth Blue Wallen; her husband, Earl; and their son, Andrew. Ruth longs to know God, the only escape she can find in a world that has shown her spiritual, emotional, and sensual defeat. Earl yearns for the music-making of his past, now lost as he makes a living as a coal miner. Andrew desires the affection of a boyhood friend, an expression of love considered sinful in rural Kentucky. And with the divinely inspired yet tormenting help of his mother, in a world of deeply and tragically conflicting desires, Andrew must choose to live or die--he must choose an uncertain love or nothing at all.
Customer Reviews:
A former student of McElmurray..........2002-08-09
...in great appreciation for a wonderful book. The broiling minds and pure intensity of the characters were, in my opinion, equal in complexity and raw emotionality to the characters of D.H. Lawrence, Ayn Rand - and that is what I seek out most in anything I read.
Language soars in "Strange Birds...".......2002-05-21
Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven is a remarkable book that examines the most universal of human emotions and the struggles we all experience in an attempt to maintain control of our own lives. While the reader's attention can wander at times, McElmurray never fails to draw the reader back in with her beautiful use of language and clearly depicted scenes. The images she creates stay with you long after you've read the last page.
Award Finalist.......2000-09-18
This complex and many-layered book was was 1 of 6 books nominated for the Appalachian Book of the Year Award. It should have won. Once Karen is discovered by the reading public, her books will win many awards. Buy this book. It will be with you long after you have read the last page.
A powerful and talented writer.......2000-08-10
Karen McElmurray is a powerful writer who produces a magical beauty not often found. Her abilities to present feelings and dreams, thoughts and emotions, fear and hope, longing and regret far exceeded my expectations. Her talent to create and bring to life the characters and places are a gift to the senses and the heart. Her words flow like liquid, I await anxiously for her next work.
This is a writer to watch--Genius at Work.......2000-05-19
Karen McElmurray is a writer's writer and a reader's writer. The lyrical and haunting power of her language and the truth she exposes to us in her storytelling is proof that indeed this is a writer to watch. There will only be more power and beauty issuing forth from her talent.
Average customer rating:
- This novel will transport you to another time and place.
- Fascinating Insight Into an Explosive Time in Mexico
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Treasures in Heaven: A Novel
Kathleen Alcala
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Flower in the Skull
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Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes
ASIN: 0811829537 |
Book Description
Family, history, and love fire this spirited new novel from award-winning author Kathleen Alcal . Just before 1900, Estela moves with her infant son from a small village to Mexico City, in part to flee her past, in part to be near her lover a society doctor, who she discovers is now married. Estela finds herself swept up into the beginnings of the country's feminist movement with its unlikely center a wealthy woman who sets up a school for prostitutes and an all-women orchestra. Estela's son, Noe, grows up in this world to become a dissident journalist enmeshed in his own dangerous liaisons. Incorporating characters from Alcal 's previous novels but standing complete on its own, Treasures in Heaven weaves a rich and eventful tapestry of people and ideas.
Customer Reviews:
This novel will transport you to another time and place........2001-01-19
Ms. Alcala has created a compelling and informative novel. I was sucked in from page one. It will transport you straight into the tumultuous political climate of late 19th century Mexico under the oppressive rule of Dictator Porfirio Diaz. I think you will appreciate this book for its harsh beauty, its rich characters and its multi -layered story of loss and survival. A book that is this entertaining and at the same time educational is a rare find. I only hope that Ms. Alcala will write another book so that I can learn more about Beto and Estela and all of her other memorable characters. I recommend this book without reservation.
Fascinating Insight Into an Explosive Time in Mexico.......2001-01-13
You can't get any better than this: a great story about a woman asserting her independence during the early 1900s in Mexico City--a time of social and political revolutions. To those of you who have read Alcala's earlier works, this is truly a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. To those who have not read the earlier works, you will only have your interest piqued. Alcala writes with authority about pre-revolutionary Mexico and the tales she spins are unforgettable accounts of strong women who persevere against personal and social challenges. This author's best achievement is the way she dispels the myth of the passive Mexican woman repeatedly in her compelling body of work.
Average customer rating:
- disappointed
- I see that Amazon.com has merged the reviews . . .
- Very misleading and inconsistent!!!!
- Excellent reference, but needs to be revised
- Must for collectors, but not a great guide...
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The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, Second Edition
Jody Lynn Nye , and
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
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A Gift of Dragons
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Dragonsblood (Pern)
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The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall (The Dragonriders of Pern)
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The Masterharper of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)
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Dragon's Kin (Dragonriders of Pern)
ASIN: 0345412745
Release Date: 1997-03-18 |
Amazon.com
A much-needed update to the classic companion to Anne McCaffrey's canonical novels and numerous short stories about Pern, this book includes a few recipes, information about knitting patterns, Craft and Hold badges, and more. As a reference, it is marred by the lack of cross-referencing within the book, although there is an index, and by the lack of scales with the drawings of various animals and places. It will be invaluable to readers like me who can't recall just where they read that name before, or what Weyr a rider is from, or where that small Hold is, and it provides a useful overview of the high points of Pernese history--though it's no substitute for the pleasure of reading the stories!
Book Description
An indispensable companion guide to the wonderful world of Anne McCaffrey and her dragons
Guaranteed to enrich every armchair traveler's journey into McCaffrey's legendary world, this illuminating guide leaves no stone in Pern unturned! Both faithful fans and newcomers will relish the fascinating history and lore of . . .
THE DRAGONS: How they developed from little fire-lizards into the huge telepathic creatures that carry human riders and fight Thread
THE PEOPLE: How they live, the clothes they wear, the food they eat
THE PLACES: What to see and do in individual Holds and Weyrs
THREAD: Its appearance and behavior, the threat it poses, and ways to combat it
UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE RENEGADES OF PERN, ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN, THE CHRONICLES OF PERN: FIRST FALL, AND THE DOLPHINS OF PERN
Customer Reviews:
disappointed.......2007-06-10
Being a huge fan of the Dragonfolk of Pern, I was very much disappointed in some of the facets of this addition to my library. First off, there is no color! How can one appreciate the nuances of the different dragons and firelizards without color renditions? Secondly, there is no map of the current weyrs, holds, and halls! How can you use this as a reference when you can't place a location with respect to another? Of course you can look in the individual books, but that defeats the purpose of a reference guide. On the other hand, the text is very good and helps explain the order and life on Pern.
I see that Amazon.com has merged the reviews . . . .......2007-01-23
. . . of both editions of this book onto a single site, so let me be clear from the outset that I am reviewing the First edition, published in 1989.
I have been a fan of the Pern universe since receiving several of the novels as gifts for Christmas in 1988. I've since read all the books; most of them more than once.
I found "The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern" to be a very good -- but not excellent companion source. Like any guide or atlas to a fictional world, every detail is not going to suit every person. The material does not cover several of the later books (though there are seeds of ideas which the alert reader will recognize again in later books.) (Hence the need for the 2nd edition).
For me, the single greatest lack in this volume was that the illustrations were all black-and-white. As detailed descriptions of heraldic devices were given -- it would have been nice to actually see them in color! Likewise with the dragons and fire-lizards!
Overall, though, I found this to be a useful and worthy effort -- especially for persons like myself who are greatly interested in "deep background" of stories.
Recommended.
Very misleading and inconsistent!!!!.......2004-01-27
I was infuriated by this "guide" to Pern. Not only is it not up to standard to the 1st edition, it's very inconsistent in its contents. The descriptions in the series books don't match those in the guide. The drawings of places, objects, animals and people don't match the descriptions in books and the previously published pictures.
Excellent reference, but needs to be revised.......2002-04-04
This was when it was issued an excellent reference for Pern, but it has since been very dated by the publication of books such as Masterharper of Pern and Skies of Pern. And the information in it is extremely shallow compared to some of the excellent wesites that are available online. I would be delighted if Jody Lynn Nye and Annne McCaffrey would sit down and incorporate some of the work Pern fans have been doing in the interim years and make this a truly authoritative Pern reference book.
Must for collectors, but not a great guide..........2001-11-02
While it's nice to have a historical view of Pern, and the short story "The Impression" by the Lady Herself is a must-have, the book, (even the second edition) is severely hamstrug by the amount of mistakes. Names are misspelled, descriptions contradict the novels, and as was mentioned, several graphs are not labeled or are improperly labled (the dragon memory/empathy graph makes no sense, as the shading is reversed. This was wrong in the first edition and hasn't been repaired.) While the addition of an index is very helpful, it would have been better if they'd devoted some time to fixing the mistakes from the first version.
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