Book Description
When the gods are banished from the heavens, they must travel through Faerûn in the guise of mortals.
When four companions, last survivors of the Company of the Lynx, find themselves in possession of a mysterious amulet, they must escape death at the hand of Bane, god of murder.
When magic itself runs wild, no one can say that the most innocent of spells will not destroy the world.
Customer Reviews:
Tsr Book.......2007-01-24
A great set of books if you can get your hands on them, this one in perticular starts off the trilogy & is quite hard to find, but this good company here had it, I recommend them.
The second greatest epic I've ever read.......2006-06-25
I read the avatar series about 8 years ago.The strong well developed characters of Cyric,Kelemvor,Midnight,and Adon became some of my favorite characters in fantasy.. This epic story has it all and is by far one of the greatest stories ever told.. Fzoul and Bane are cool villains you may actually find yourself rooting for.. Anyway,If you haven't read this series and are a fantasy lover,please go check this out.You won't be disappointed.. Highly recommended indeed.
Good plot but not very creative.......2006-01-02
The basic story of this book is a very good one, unfortunately there are times where it seems the author just couldn't come up with something interesting. There are incidents in the book that happen that just don't make any sense. Granted there is supposed to be an explanation in the background of the story, but the author uses it way too much. While trying to make the world seem completely out of whack, all the author succeds in doind is make you go "What the heck is that there for?"
One strong point of the book is the storyline and the characters involved. This is just the beginning of the trilogy and all the necessary ground work has been layed. The author does provide good insight into the hero characters, while providing just enough information the adversary to make things interesting.
I did enjoy this book overall so I'm giving it three stars, and I am definetly looking forward to Tantras when I think things will really start to get interesting.
Avoid at all costs..........2005-05-25
I picked up this book, the first in the Avatar Trilogy, fresh off the heels of having read "The Icewind Dale Triology" and "The Dark Elf Trilogy" by R.A. Salvatore. I was highly disappointed. The prose is written in an awful style; it reminded me of reading "The Illiad", except that the Illiad was interesting! It was an absolute chore to read this book, so much so that I never finished it and never read the other two books in the series even though I foolishly bought all three at the same time.
Avoid.
Fails to capitalize on its potential........2005-03-16
*Note: This review is based on the first 2 books in the series--Shadowdale, and Tantras*
I've been an avid reader most of my life, especially fantasy, and lately fantasy set in the Forgotten Realms universe. For those unfamiliar with it, it started as a setting for the Dungeons and Dragons table-top game, and now is a place where many authors have the opportunity to weave their own tales within a world that readers can grow accustomed to. Basically, it allows the world and its people to come alive through the infusion of multiple ideas coming from many different minds.
That being said, this series of books covers one of the most momentous happenings in the history of Faerun, the world in which the Forgotten Realms stories takes place. The event to which I refer is the "Time of Troubles" or the "Arrival" or a multitude of other names penned for it. Without giving too much away, it's the time when there's a shifting in the Pantheon of gods--someone has stolen the Tablets of Fate. As punishment, the power above the gods themselves has cast them out of their otherworldly abode and into the mortal realm, forcing the gods to take on mortal avatars to house their immortal essence. Due to this occurence, magic itself is unstable, causing chaos when it is used, and also creating havoc with the world itself--earthquakes, moving mountains, and random explosions and the like. The story focuses on a group of adventurers, who through chance or fate, have been thrust into the plight of the gods. Sounds like a great start, a wonderful beginning to an epic story, right? WRONG.
The first two books are plagued by grossly undercharacterized and overly-cliched heroes. We've got the fighter, Kelemvor, struggling with a secret he dare not reveal to his friends. Midnight, the mage, who seems to be guided by destiny into a fate she isn't sure she wants. Adon, the cleric of Sune, suddenly faced with doubts as to his faith. And Cyric, the thief, haunted by a past he cannot escape. So much potential here, and it's completely undone by Scott Ciencin's inability to craft a story worth reading. Kelemvor's secret is revealed far too early, and the characters basically get over it in a paragraph. Midnight's cloudy fate can be easily guessed by a 10 year old. Adon, who goes into a semi-comatose state for about 2 days, snaps out of it suddenly, no explanation given. He just starts talking. Cyric, who is shown gradually spiraling out of control, had so much potential he practically screamed for a better author to pen him.
One of the worst parts, for me at least, occured in the first book. The heroes (Be prepared to hear that a lot. Ciencin can't find anything else to call them but "the heroes" or "the thief" *snore*) are traveling along, and suddenly a forest sprouts in front of them. Due to the instability in magic and the world at large, the forest not only appears out of the blue, but it also grows upside down; branches are on the ground and roots in the air. The group of adventurers says NOTHING. They go right through it. No debate on if it's dangerous, not even a "Hey, a forest sprouted upside down right in front of us. Neat." And NOTHING HAPPENS IN IT. They ride their horses through it for a sentence and keep going.
Therein lies the problem. The author is in such a hurry to get to a plot point or action sequence (neither of which are well done) that he rushes over what happens in between. We never get a feel for what these characters go through--the struggles that precede an epic battle, or a sudden revelation. It all feels so rushed.
I usually devour books as soon as I get them. I had to keep putting the first book down because it bored me so much, and I NEVER do that. I got the second one on a lark, hoping against hope that it would improve. It doesn't. I'm currently debating whether or not to get the third one, considering that it's Troy Denning who penned that one, and I know he can write.
Final Verdict: Read it if you'd like to find out about a momentous event in Faerun's history, one that affects many better books after these. Better yet, find a summary somewhere that lists the important things. I don't recommend this series, and I point you toward Ed Greenwood (the Forgotten realms creator), R.A. Salvatore, or a few others if you'd like to delve into the rich world of Faerun. Scott Ciencin, at least in these 2 books, feels far too much like an adolescent writing a story he thinks his friends would like.
Average customer rating:
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The Forgotten Ones
Douglas Ferguson
Manufacturer: Suspect Thoughts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Literary
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General
| Fantasy
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ASIN: 0976341166 |
Book Description
At the close of the twentieth century, the gods and deities of all the world's mythology have been summoned to a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Among those attending are the African Orishas, the Norse Aesir, the Faerie Folk, the Greek Pantheon, and the Native-American Animal Elders. Here amidst the flashy clubs, derelict streets, and latest fashions, these has-been gods come to terms with a world that no longer believes in them, as they make plans for the day that they will regain their power.
However, among the unwanted guests at the conference is the insecure Jesus Christ and his earthy companion, Mary Magdalene, who are making plans for the Second Coming. At the center of their plans is a mortal, a teenage prostitute named Angela. It is Angela who is destined to be the mother of the Messiah.
But there are gods who have plans to stop the Second Coming from happening, such as the trickster, Coyote, and the omnipotent Lucifer, both with their own reasons for wanting to stop Jesus and Mary from succeeding. And then there is Lilith. She is the vengeful first wife of Adam, and estranged wife of Lucifer. Now a goddess who leads the life of a mortal, it is she who finds herself trapped in the divine plans for the new age. It is Lilith who will be responsible for the outcome of the new millennium.
The Forgotten Ones is a contemporary fantasy, a novel of appropriated myths and legends, where Creationism gets a new twist, and where the gods never died, but learned to survive in a world that had stopped believing in magic.
Customer Reviews:
One You Won't Forget.......2007-09-02
Ferguson, Douglas. "The Forgotten Ones", Reverse Rapture Press, 2007.
One You Won't Forget
Amos Lassen
There are books you read and never forget and I predict that Douglas Ferguson's "The Forgotten Ones" will be one of those. He looks at time, space and religion in a way that many might shy away from and some may find heretical. I find it wonderful. It may change the way you look at religion or even think about a supreme being and you will have several hours of wonderful reading as you consider what this author has to say. Ferguson looks at myth, divine myth and explores them and the blows them up and he does so with the most erudite blasphemy I have ever read. He does so with love and writes in a style that is not only extremely readable but delicious.
It is that time when the Great God Convention is to take place and the word has leaked out that there is a possibility of a second coming. It seems that nobody really wants Jesus around and as the gods meet in Vancouver, tempers get hot and the cosmos begin to take on a new appearance. Invited to the meeting is a group of gods which includes the Africa Orishas, the Norse Aesir, the Faeries, the Greek Pantheon and the Native American Animal Elders. Of course omitted from the invitation are Lucifer and his guys and the head and board of Patriarchy, Inc.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene are preparing for the second coming and they are sure to get it right this time. They have found for themselves a young teenaged prostitute, Angela, who is to be the mother of the new Messiah and the babe is a female this time. Neither the Jesus camp nor the Great God Convention bothered to remember a female named Lilith who had been the wife of Adam and the ex-wife of Lucifer and it is she who will determine how all of this will end.
Sure, the whole idea seems a bit ridiculous and completely out somewhere but Ferguson has written a novel that is so well penned that as out of the world the idea ay be, it will hold your attention and get you thinking. It seems that since "The DaVinci Code", we are hungry for novels that deal with themes that were once considered anti-religion and the reading public has been eating them up. We have to be reminded sometimes that what we are reading is just fiction and should not be taken seriously. The fact that some people do take these writings seriously shows what a hold organized religion has on us.
Let me say that I enjoyed this book for what it is and for nothing more than a pleasurable reading experience. Those who want to see more than that have a problem that they have to deal with.
Even though the idea of the novel is completely heretical and blasphemous, it is a wonderful read and should be looked at as just that. It's an experience that no one should miss.
Average customer rating:
- A very accurate and informative history of the prisoners
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The Forgotten Ones: Women and Children Under Nippon
Shirley Fenton Huie
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Indonesia
| Asia
| History
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ASIN: 0207170770 |
Customer Reviews:
A very accurate and informative history of the prisoners.......1997-11-11
I have heard only brief excerpts about my and my family's interment in the Japanese concentration camp during World War II. I found this book to bring to life the stories I've heard and re-awakened the memories I have. There is a dearth of information about the devastation of the Netherlands by the Germans but this is the only book I know of which tells about the imprisonment of the Dutch in Indonesia. It should be more readily available. A US reader will find the language usage a little strange but that is because it was written by an Autralian. Nevertheless, it is a well written documentar. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who want to know about us, "The Forgotten Ones".
Book Description
This story starts with my induction onto the U.S. Army basic training of Fort Knox, Kentucky to jungle warfare training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, more jungle warfare training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and more jungle warfare training at Fort Lewis, Washington. The ship ride to South Vietnam. Our arrival at Lai Khe base camp. Home of the 1st Infantry Division, The Big Red One, Delta 2nd and 28th Infantry known as the Black Lions. The ambush of the Black Lions on October 17, 1967. Other battles that happened from this date until my return home. The last few months of military duty till my release from active duty.
Customer Reviews:
Disturbing but Highly Recommended.......2007-03-08
Mr. Troyer went to Vietnam in 1967 as an ordinary grunt carrying a rifle. He was assigned to an area where it seemed that nothing changed during the year he was there. They would go out into the boonies, look for trails where the VC or NVA had left signs and come back in the evening to set up an ambush.
At the beginning of his tour it seems that there were a lot of opportunities to do this. At the end of his tour it seems that there were a lot of opportunities to do this. Inbetween not much seems to have happened except that a lot of people got hurt or killed. There are no big strategic stories here. No real heros or villans. Just ordinary young men doing their best to survive one year in hell. Mr. Troyer writes that his whole life came down to trying to live just a little bit longer. In the morning he would make the decision to try to live till noon. At noon he would begin trying to live til evening. Then through the night. Other people I have met have told me the same thing.
Mr. Troyer says that 36 years later he learned that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Perhaps the survival attitude he developed caused or helped to cause the PTSD. But how else could you have survived in that environment? I wonder if a welcoming band, the support and recognition of what they did for us would have helped.
I wonder if the situation in Iraq is the same, endless patrols over deadly streets that are as dangerous at the end of your tour as it was at the beginning. I see more signs that the returning vets are getting better treatment, perhaps we are all ashamed of the way the Viet vets were treated.
A disturbing but highly recommended book that leaves you with a lot to think about.
At last, a book from the front lines of the Vietnam War.......2007-01-17
Do not miss this book! It is absolutely riveting. The author, drafted into Vietnam in 1967 at age 19, gives the facts of his Vietnam experience - no politics, no whining, no glorification, no condemnation, no manipulating your feelings, no bragging. He just tells what it was actually like for him, with pictures taken during his Vietnam tour, plus copies of some of his letters home, which are also very factual. It is written in the language of real people and easy to read. Set aside a whole evening, though, because you will not want to put it down.
This would make a GREAT gift for anyone, especially someone who is a veteran or has worked with veterans or likes history. It should be read by EVERY person who reports on the military, so that reporters gain some perspective of what it is like for those on the firing line. It is also quite suitable for those who are headed off to military action, as the author certainly saw plenty of it himself and returned to live a productive life.
Don't miss this book!!!!! DO NOT MISS IT!!!!!
Average customer rating:
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One of the Forgotten Things: Getulio Vargas and Brazilian Social Control, 1930-1954 (Contributions in Latin American Studies)
R. S. Rose
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Brazil
| South America
| Americas
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ASIN: 031331358X |
Book Description
An examination of the long-ignored vicious side to the legend of Brazilian President Getulio Dornelles Vargas, this is the tale uncovered by the first civilian to spend months in the secret police archives of Rio de Janeiro. Rose has utilized new eyewitness testimony and insider information in offering explanations to several events that proved pivotal in Brazil during the 1930s and 1940s. During Vargas's tenure, the quality and quantity of human rights abuses reached unprecedented heights. Violence, as a means of coercing the public, was evident in all sectors of the security apparatus. Several tools of torture developed during the hunt for communists are still in use today. Almost by definition, politicians have to offer a semblance of providing something for each different sector of society. Vargas was better at this than his predecessors in that with ease he proudly wore the various vestments of dictator, fascist, democrat, and populist as necessary. For the poor, he was the paternalistic benefactor; for the middle class, he was the one who brought stability; and for the wealthy, he supported the status quo. This ability to juggle forces and interests was grounded in his security apparatus. Beginning with the unsuccessful Communist Revolution of 1935, the nation's police forces redefined and in some cases reinvented the torture that had occurred in Brazil from colonial times onward. The harshness of their methods was matched only by the ardor of their example for coming generations.
Customer Reviews:
Engaging book but an inacurate description of a Rumford........1999-05-23
While we owe Vrest Orton a big "thankyou" for helping to resurect the Rumford fireplace, which was all but forgotton, as he said, in 1969, he got a lot of the history and details wrong - mostly slanting the fireback and neglecting to round the breast. I have no doubt that Orton accurately described the fireplace in his home in Vermont. I have seen many fireplaces said to be Rumfords which had slanted backs. While it's a common variation, it's not a Rumford. Read Rumford's own essay reprinted in The Collected Works of Count Rumford Vol 2 edited by Sanborn C. Brown for the real stuff. But Orton wrote an engaging little book. I'll give it a "3". - Jim Buckley
Used this book as a guide to professional fireplace building.......1999-03-17
The simple practicality contained in the premises of this book are so obvious as to be overlooked, ignored, or even disbelieved. Believe them! Mr. Orton presents in clear, concise, diagrammatical presentation the WAY A FIREPLACE SHOULD BE BUILT. To all the masons out there who have at one time or other in your career felt that the true art of masonry is dying, read this book for the inspiration that yours is a craft more ancient and solid than any other. Easy to read, entertaining and to the point.
Average customer rating:
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Vendetta: a story of one forgotten
Marie Corelli
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1426414668
Release Date: 2006-08-01 |
Book Description
From the preface: Lest those who read the following pages should deem this story at all improbable, it is perhaps necessary to say that its chief incidents are founded on an actual occurrence which took place in Naples during the last scathing visitation of the cholera in 1884.
Download Description
They struck against a hard opposing substance above me. Quick as lightning then the truth flashed upon my mind! I had been buried--buried alive; this wooden prison that inclosed me was a coffin! A frenzy surpassing that of an infuriated tiger took swift possession of me--with hands and nails I tore and scratched at the accursed boards--with all the force of my shoulders and arms I toiled to wrench open the closed lid! My efforts were fruitless! I grew more ferociously mad with rage and terror. How easy were all deaths compared to one like this!
Book Description
In this autobiography compiled from old diaries and letters, Stuart O. Van Slyke recounts his adventures as a young man born to hardship in the early 20th century. He recalls how he overcame his background through his own grit, imagination, and the support of his family and friends. From a 21st century point of view, Stuart's unsupervised childhood seems carefree. Virtually on his own from the beginning, Stuart worked his way through college, where he was introduced to the Army through ROTC, and was the first of his family to graduate. He was called to active duty on June 30, 1941, as a second lieutenant, but his true military career started on Pearl Harbor day. This turned out to a pivotal event in the shaping of his life. One of the highlights of the book is his service in the North African Campaign and his passionate yet sensitive command of the 78th Fighter Control Squadron, and later on the staff of the Allied Air Command of Corsica. The war's ending found him in Korea in military government in 1945, where he assisted in the start of South Korea's return to the community of countries who were no longer enslaved or ruled by despots. He had a real bird's eye view of the development of the 90th Parallel dilemma that plagues us even today. At the age of 29 in 1946, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, and a civilian again, who wondered what he was now going to do.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding verbal History.......2007-01-29
This book is one of those rare finds for which historians are always looking. Mr. Van Slyke managed to keep all of his old correspondance and notes from a lifetime of over 80 years, and has compiled them into a gripping story of one person's experiences through the Great Depression and WW II. Although not interested in the "big picture", this book conveys a ground's eye perspective of some under-developed areas of WW II history. The portion about the author's challenges in the military government in Korea at the end of WW II, provided this Iraq War veteran an eerie sense of deja vu, as well as highlighting several key lessons that are still valid today.
The writing style is very simple and flows naturally. The reader feels like they are sitting in a living room, while their grandfather relates his stories to them. The addition of actual copies of orders, pictures and other documents throughout the book serve to further enhance the experience.
In sum, this book is a must have for any serious student of American life from the 1920s to the end of WW II. Future books may include a continuation from WW II until the present day.
***Truth in Lending***
The author is the Maternal Grandfather of the writer of this review. However, the reviewer has been trained in history at the United States Military Academy, and conducted research on WW II history.
Customer Reviews:
Instant classic.......2006-10-02
Dan has once again outdone himself. If you're seeing his work for the first time I recommend you pick up any random Gaunt's Ghost book and then get kicking with the first of the Eisenhorn series, or better yet go with the full trilogy in one volume, the Eisenhorn Omnibus.
By the time you get to this part of the epic saga you'll be thoroughly hooked, so don't even bother fighting the impulse.
Criticism:
- Occasional lack of connections between the three parts of the trilogy, important characters are introduced without having been mentioned previously.
- A few somewhat implausible and incongruous (suspension of disbelief only works if the author stays consistent within his own work, i.e. a character cannot continuously be described as old and decrepit and then suddenly do something wholly un-decrepit... it hurts the immersion and seems a cop-out for lack of polish) fight-scenes that might go down better with a younger audience than with ex-mercenary deepsea divers like myself.
All in all, insanely good work that is wholly worthy of mainstream recognition and awards. A CGI-movie? The Peter Jackson treatment?
Or perhaps just a forever cult classic amongst the WH and WH40K crowd...
Peter Book Worm.......2006-08-21
He's on edge of slipping to the other side(chaos)but holds on for a great ending,also a new beginning for Ravenor(next set future -I- style books.
Great Book/Glad i didnt buy all 3 seperate.
Peter
Exciting finish to a great trilogy........2005-11-02
Hereticus chronicles the climax of the Eisenhorn trilogy. As with the other two books of the trilogy, it is full of intense action and entertaining interactions between the characters. Some new and interesting characters are introduced here, including one of Eisenhorn's old lovers, that help to expand the overall story background. In this last novel, the whole world comes crashing down for our hero and a desperate and final confrontation with his arch enemy is finally forced.
Another exciting read from Abnett.
All's well that ends well!.......2004-11-24
A fine ending! If you liked the first two books, don't miss this one. I won't ruin the book by telling it here. Comes strongly bound with decent quality paper in a modern plastisized cover. This book is hard to find; i suspect a limited production run already out of print. It's worth finding though. Maybe next time Dan Abnett writes a book his publisher will trust they have a big enough audience to publish a few more copies.
$60 for Hereticus, I think not.......2004-07-17
For some odd reason, this book - a $6.95 paperback if purchased from The Black Library itself is being listed by sellers here for $40 and up! Do yourself a favor and just use the GW online store to order, after speaking with a GW sales representitive here in the US, the book is not in limited production, nor is it sold out.
Books:
- She May Not Leave
- Silence in October
- Sinners in Summertime
- Snuffed Out
- Some Sunday
- Southern Exposure
- Suzanne : of Love and Art
- Teacher in Space: Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger Legacy
- The Best American Short Stories of the Century (The Best American Series(R))
- The Bridegroom: Stories
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
- In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts
- Cold Flat Junction
- Echoes of Earth
- Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo
- History: Fiction or Science
- Great Escapes and Rescues: An Encyclopedia
- Mak Center for Art and Architecture
- Celebrate the Months December
- Blind Bat: C-130 Night Forward Air Controller Ho Chi Minh Trail
Tantras (Forgotten Realms: The Avatar)
Waterdeep (Forgotten Realms: The Avatar)
Prince of Lies (Forgotten Realms: The Avatar)
Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad (Forgotten Realms: The Avatar)
The Temptation of Elminster (Forgotten Realms: Elminster)
