Prime Cut (Goldy Culinary Mysteries, Book 8)

Amazon.com

You could die from reading one of Diane Mott Davidson's culinary mysteries: this one includes recipes for Jailbreak Potatoes (butter, whipping cream, freshly grated Parmesan cheese) and Labor Day Flourless Chocolate Cake with Berries, Melba Sauce, and White Chocolate Cream (butter, chocolate, eggs, sugar, whipping cream). So you might want to take both the recipes and Davidson's pinball machine-like plots in small bites. This time, caterer Goldy Schulz careens between the worlds of contracting and high fashion models, with bodies from both camps falling into the food. It's all in fun, and readers have been lapping up Davidson's merry mélanges with increasing appetite. Catering to Nobody, The Cereal Murders, Dying for Chocolate, The Grilling Season, Killer Pancake, and The Main Corpse are available on the paperback menu. --Dick Adler

Book Description

A caterer's nightmare...

Caterer Goldy Schulz is convinced things couldn't get worse. An unscrupulous rival is driving her out of business. An incompetent contractor has left her precious kitchen in shambles. And she has just agreed to cater a fashion shoot at a nineteenth-century mountain cabin with her mentor and old friend, French chef André Hibbard.

A dash of cold-blooded murder...

Together Goldy and André struggle in a hopelessly outdated kitchen to cater to a vacuous crowd of beautiful people whose personal dramas climax when a camera is pitched through a window...into the buffet. Then Goldy's contractor is found hanging in the house of one of her best friends. A second murder follows and Goldy must somehow solve a mystery and prepare for a society soirée that could make--or break--her career.

A recipe for disaster...

It's a mystery that involves the dead contractor's unwholesome past, a food saboteur, the theft of four historical cookbooks, and an overzealous D.A. who has suspended Goldy's detective husband, Tom, from the force. What Goldy discovers is the perfect recipe for murder. And she may be dessert!

Customer Reviews:

How does this person fit into this story, again?.......2007-08-24

This was the first time I've read any books in this series and the first in this genre. I have inadvertently picked up a second, third or even fourth book in a series and can't wait to get my hands on the others. Not the case here. I continued reading because my cousin gave it to me and we have the same reading preferences. I was also convinced that it would get better in the next chapter. It never did and it took me over a month to get through it when it should have only taken a few nights at most. There were some good and likeable characters in the story, though. But, at the same time, there were too many characters that didn't move the story along. I am giving this book two stars only because I managed to get through it but it is quite forgettable.

Prime mystery.......2006-09-24

How many times have I read this book? Three? Four? Five??? In any case, it never fails to enthrall me.

Davidson does such an excellent job of pulling the reader into the world of Aspen Meadows and Goldy Schultz. I read the books as much for the characters as for the mystery, and I'm never disappointed. This volume has a strong plot and great characterization.

Vintage Davidson. Don't miss it.

Multi-layered plot.......2005-06-10

Goldy, the caterer, is up to her eyeballs in trouble in this 8th. book of the series. Her business is dropping off because of competition from the sleazy Craig Litchfield, who will stop at nothing steal Goldy's customers. Things seem to be looking up when her old teacher, Andre, invites her to help him with a catering job for a fashion photo shoot. Unfortunately, about this time Gerald Eliot, an unscrupulous contractor, is found dead at the home of Cameron Barr, Goldy's friend, and the assistant D.A., Andy Fuller, is convinced that Barr is the murderer. Goldy and her husband Tom try to defend their friend and in the process, Fuller accuses Tom of obstructing a murder investigation and suspends him from the police force. Craig Litchfield knows that Goldy is in financial trouble and he offers to buy her business. Other sub-plots deal with son Arch's love life and an IRS audit of Goldy's friend Marla. One more person dies and another character is badly hurt, before the killer finally comes out of the woodwork and confronts Goldy. This is a good addition to the series, although at times it's hard to keep up with all of the plots and subplots.

at the top of her form.......2003-08-26

"Prime Cut" is Diane Mott Davidson at the top of her form, and the recipes---although fattening and non-too healthy!---are scrumptious in this book. Goldy's grand-spanking-new kitchen is left in a mess by an unreliable contractor, so she is catering "on the road" and has a contract for lunches for a group of fashion models at a catalogue shoot.

This tale of murder in the Rockies, served up in great form by Davidson, will keep you turning pages till the end. Recommended.

tasty goulash of mystery and recipes.......2003-02-15

I have to admit, I enjoy the Goldy (Bear) Schulz character and especially like the recipes. Goldy is not facing off against a rival that has a backer with deep pockets. Her hubby gets suspended without pay, her kitchen, her source of livihood and sanity, is trashed. And than there are the murders.

Customer Reviews:

Amateurish.... NOT recommended.......2007-06-05

I was disappointed by this book. I have all the "Meatmen" series of erotic art and was expecting this work to be on the same high level. It's not, not at all. The drawings are almost "cartoonish", not at all realistic or erotic. The Meatmen collection is high quality, very erotic and imaginative work. This stuff looks like it was drawn by a guy with a dirty mind who can't draw very well. Not recommended.

fooled by the title.......2006-08-28

I guess I hadn't realized when I purchased this that the work was all from one artist (and one whose work is not particularly appealing to me). The title made me think that it was a compilation of different artists, so, shame on me...

anyway, if you like this artist, and there are many reasons to like him, then you will enjoy this collection. his imagination is great and his stories run a wide gamut of themes. the most enjoyment for me comes in watching what looks to be Southern California locales become populated with men and women speaking with British dialects.

Excellent Transaction.......2006-02-23

Great communication. Easy payment options. Fast Secure shiping. Would definiely do business with them again.

A Fine Collection.......2006-02-05

The publishing house of Bruno Gmûnder recently released a compilation of gay comic strips by the creative team of Howard Stangroom and Stephen Lowther title PRIME CUTS. Over the past couple of years we've seen collections of Chelsea Boys, Adam and Andy, Kyle's Bed & Breakfast, and thankfully, Tales of the Closet. It's very satisfying to have a trade paperback that collects a selection of hard-to-find stories by Stangroom and Lowther.

This volume includes a good number of stories of varying lengths from shorts that are one to four pages and others in the 10 - 15 page ranges. The lengthiest is "Hot Pursuit." Themes range from space opera with a gay twist, a tribute to Millie the Model, slice of life, and social commentary in a super hero spoof, and romance and sex, and a little more sex.

In "The Gift" an alien space ship visits London during a Pride Parade, and imbues three men and three women with super powers to fight bigotry. What I thought was a story with political tones turned into commentary on gay culture.

"Can We Do It Till I Need Glasses" is an autobiographical peak at Stangroom's family. We've all had those fleeting fantasies involving a doctor, waiter, deliveryman, or the grocery stock boy. Howard's no different and I love the contrasting emotions that Lowther shows so well between Howard's family and fantasy.

Teenaged drama plays a part in the lives of the Archie's-like crew in "Ride the Wild Surf." Girlfriend Mollie is riding high, having achieved her goal of surfing champ. She can't understand why her red-haired boyfriend Flicker, of whom she dreams of marrying, is becoming colder to her. There's a happy ending, along with the message that love can come unexpectedly to one and all. Lowther mentions elsewhere in the book that Stan Lee's early Millie the Model gang served as inspiration for their characters, and not Archie.

"Out of the Blue" is about the mission of a tall, dark, hot, and hairy human looking alien whose mission is to study Earth culture in depth for a year. His craft crash land on the lawn of an equally attractive blond guy's home in the country, and what follows is some sweet romance and hot sex. I liked this story especially, because, well, honestly, I'm a sucker for romance, even when it involves an unexpected visitor from another world.

Clones have become a basis for fantasy in the future sex-positive world of "Don't Dream It, Be It." Your erotic dreams become hot sex when you select the clone of your desire (smooth, hairy, thin, muscular, you name it) and bring him home after having a test run.

Sexual fantasy clashes with stark reality and the need for companionship in the post-apocalyptic world of "Second Chance." It's a short story for which the pair received some criticism from, I imagine, some overly-PC folks because it manages to challenge some ideas of sexuality. Who cares? The one guy is hot and burly!

There's also plenty of sex and lust in sci-fi "Hot Pursuit," the longest story in the collection. Our hero, Steven Alpha, witnesses his warrior lover, Richard Nova, abducted by an arch villain. Alpha's hot pursuit for Nova takes him via teleportation to new worlds where he both introduces a world to the pleasure of gay sex, and in turn learns a thing or two from other cultures. Alpha's desire is crushed in the end, but fear not. He's landed on Pleasure World where no one is alone for very long.

"Creatures of the Night" seems to be the strongest reflection of its time, during the years of Section 28. A gay man is walking when he's singled out for gay bashing. A mysterious and queer figure appears from nowhere to rescue him. While I enjoyed the Gay Ghost, as he's later dubbed, sense of irony, the character's speech was a bit preachy. Then again, I imagine in the context of Thatcher's England that the frustration experienced would warrant this commentary. I remember life being more frustrating during Ronald Reagan's presidency, especially his second term.

The story with least appeal to me is "Harry the Flying Pyramid." Harry is a flying pyramid that escapes from Lowther's imagination and is followed by a large number of slug-like Grums that attack people. Harry encounters the eccentric Gran who believes she's the "true" Queen. Gran also shares the "real" Buckingham Palace with her gay grandson Jeremy. In fact, I think Gran, Jeremy, and his boyfriend Bill are the real stars and could provide more material if ever there are new shorts done.

All of Lowther's original art is presented here in color for the first time. His style has a consistent and enjoyable quality to it, and he delivers a variety of male eye candy for readers. The crisp, matte paper shows it off well, and even has a good feel to it. I've admired the production values in the couple of other books published by Bruno Gmûnder I have, and it's very nice to have them applied here as well. The book has itself has a substantial weight to it as well. An interview with the pair supplies behind-the-scenes information on their partnership and the stories.

All of these stories were new to me. It's odd to me knowing that I lived in Chicago at the time, and somehow didn't come across any of these at the time. Then again, I also missed Strip AIDS, AARGH!, and Tales of the Closet, and all of Gay Comics except for the first issue, and I definitely was not living in secrecy. It's taken me patience, luck, and a little fortitude to track down some of these and other LGBT comics. They're all a part of our cultural history. As records, nothing should be lost, especially now when in America our culture and government is leaning more and more to the conservative right, just as it was under the Reagan and Bush administration.

Stangroom's and Lowther's work deserved a handsome collection, and the opportunity for readers either new or old, to have the opportunity to enjoy a sampling of their collaborations. I certainly think future volumes are warranted.

Lobel's Prime Cuts: The Best Meat and Poultry Recipes From America's Master Butchers

Average customer rating:

An average book with good, but carelessly written recipes.

Lobel's Prime Cuts: The Best Meat and Poultry Recipes From America's Master Butchers
Stanley Lobel , Mary Goodbody , Mark Lobel , and Evan Lobel
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0811840638

Book Description

From the nationally renowned Lobel's—New York City's first family of butchers—come 130 recipes revealing the secrets to getting the most from meat and poultry. These recipes serve up a wide range of cooking styles and flavors, from grilled steak with horseradish butter and braised ribs in ginger beer to spicy ground chicken kebabs and slow-roasted lamb in a pistachio crust. A chapter on game features delicious recipes for duck, quail, pheasant, rabbit, and venison—meats that can now be found at most local gourmet markets. With clear descriptions of the different cuts of meat, the best knives and cooking equipment for the job, the importance of the proper cooking temperatures, plus simple freezing and meat safety tips, Lobel's Prime Cuts provides the last word on meat and poultry, from the folks who know it best.

Customer Reviews:

An average book with good, but carelessly written recipes........2004-12-16

`Lobel's Prime Cuts' is a cookbook written, purportedly, by five members of the Lobel family who own and operate an excellent butcher shop on the upper west side of Manhattan. On the face of it, this makes the book an obvious advertisement for the butcher shop, or, more exactly, for their Internet ordering service.

This doesn't mean the book is not good. Emeril has put his name to some pretty good books that are really shameful advertisements for his restaurants and retail products. He has especially managed to corner the market on pretty good books for kids' cooking. So, does the Lobel's expertise in butchery translate to expertise in cookbook writing?

My overall impression is that this is an average cookbook with a decent collection of somewhat poorly written recipes and only a small amount of inside information on how to deal with good meat. The value of the book is just barely saved by a lower than average price which befits its primary role as a promotion for their retail business.

The few tips I learned from this book about handling meat are that:

- One should freeze or refrigerate meat in the packaging in which it was sold at the store.
- Duck is one meat which is best bought frozen. Almost all else should be bought fresh.
- Meat holds its freshness in the freezer a much shorter time in summer due to the high humidity.
- Don't try to catch a knife if it falls to the floor. Let it come to rest before picking it up.
- There are three levels of coarseness in sharpening stones. The middle level is the most commonly used.

This isn't much from a book by meat experts. It is amazing to discover that there is not a single diagram of primals from butchering beef, pork, or lamb. The book spends a fair amount of time with the care and sharpening of knives, without a single picture on how to sharpen knives. They would have done a whole lot better to simply recommend, as Alton Brown does, that you should not sharpen a knife yourself, but give the job to a professional. Dear Alton is mistaken when he says professionals do this. I know very well that professional chefs sharpen their own knives and the CIA even has a whole book dedicated to the subject, `The Professional Chef's Knife Kit' which I heartily recommend to anyone willing to develop knife sharpening skills.

My initial take on the recipes was that they were pretty good until I started encountering some with pretty serious omissions such as the recipe for the Cuban sandwich which neglects to tell the cook how and when to cut the pork loin before putting the slices on the bread. I also had serious reservations about their pork and sauerkraut recipe that used pork loin. This recipe is basically a braise, so meat on the bone with a fair amount of cartilage is better than the very lean loin. The book in general seems to lean heavily toward the more expensive cuts of meat. There is also virtually no notice of some of the more interesting methods for dealing with Porky. One recipe gives a technique for brining thick pork chops, yet the word brining doesn't even appear in the index. If you have a special interest in pork, definitely pass this book by and get yourself a copy of `Bruce Aidells's Complete Book of Pork'. This excellent book gives you everything you may have expected in the Lobel's book. On the plus side, the few recipes for stocks at the end of the book are very simple with little chance of producing an excessively cloudy stock.

If you want a very good book on cooking meat, get the volume `How to Cook Meat' by cooking experts Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby. This work is not limited to grilling for which these authors are so justly famous.

Aside from some good comments on buying meat and selecting it for particular recipes, the Lobel's book practically nothing you might expect from a book by professional butchers. My three stars means that it is simply an average book which is saved from two stars by a less than average list price. I predict this volume will quickly find its way to the discount piles.

Prime Cut: Livestock Raising and Meatpacking in the United States, 1607-1983

Average customer rating:

The history of the meat industry in America.

Prime Cut: Livestock Raising and Meatpacking in the United States, 1607-1983
Jimmy M. Skaggs
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

The history of the meat industry in America........2000-08-17

Skaggs's book is an excellent synthesis of the history of American meat production from earliest times to the present. Skaggs covers the early days, the rise of the trailing industry, the growth of big packing towns like Chicago and Kansas City, scandals like "embalmed beef" in the war with Spain and the "beef trust", and all the twists and turns that have led to the way things are produced today. Full of interesting facts and details, this book also tells the story of the lifecycle of an important American industry that still looms large in our imaginations. As Skaggs shows, however, imagination tends to run away from reality. For all you romantics out there, just remember that even at the height of the cattle trail days, most cattle were raised by farmers. (I bet you won't be seeing that coming out of Hollywood anytime soon.) I highly recommend reading this book in conjunction with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle".

5 Titles By Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Bear Series (6-10) : 6. The Main Corpse 7. The Grilling Season 8. Prime Cut 9. Tough Cookie 10. Sticks and Scones

Average customer rating:

5 Titles By Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Bear Series (6-10) : 6. The Main Corpse 7. The Grilling Season 8. Prime Cut 9. Tough Cookie 10. Sticks and Scones
Diane Mott Davidson
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

6 Titles in the GOLDY BEAR Series: (1) Catering to Nobody; (2) Dying For Chocolate; (3) The Last Suppers; (4) The Grilling Season; (5) Prime Cut; (6) Tough Cookie (Set of 6)

Average customer rating:

6 Titles in the GOLDY BEAR Series: (1) Catering to Nobody; (2) Dying For Chocolate; (3) The Last Suppers; (4) The Grilling Season; (5) Prime Cut; (6) Tough Cookie (Set of 6)
Diane Mott Davidson
Manufacturer: Bantam Books; Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WUVAG6

7 Titles By Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Bear Catering Mysteries (6-12) : 6. The Main Corpse 7. The Grilling Season 8. Prime Cut 9. Tough Cookie 10. Sticks and Scones 11. Chopping Spree 12. Double Shot

Average customer rating:

7 Titles By Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Bear Catering Mysteries (6-12) : 6. The Main Corpse 7. The Grilling Season 8. Prime Cut 9. Tough Cookie 10. Sticks and Scones 11. Chopping Spree 12. Double Shot
Diane Mott Davidson
Manufacturer: Bantam Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VS3YWM

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

Epigphany: A Health and Fitness Spiritual Awakening---from Chitlins to Prime Cut

Average customer rating:

Clear and Concise.

Epigphany: A Health and Fitness Spiritual Awakening---from Chitlins to Prime Cut
Angelique Daniels
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Diet Therapy | Alternative & Holistic | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1412071852

Book Description

Epigphany: A Health and Fitness Spiritual Awakening---from Chitlins to Prime Cut

This book takes you on a weight loss journey through ten dress sizes and over 60 pounds!! The inspirational book tells you how she did it. It is a humorous, quick, easy read, with each chapter having a PIG reference. Chapter one starts with the Piglet stage followed by The Sow I was, Scrambled Pig Brains, The Epigphany, The Butcher, Pig Latin, Chitlins to Prime Cut, The Big Bad Wolves and finishing with Pork and Beans. The book tells you why diets don't work and gives you tips on what foods and vitamins promote weight loss.

Customer Reviews:

Clear and Concise........2007-01-12

There is no ambiguity here. Just an honest, humble, hilarious account of weight gain and weight loss. A quick read with delightful humor, suitable for any age group and gender.

Goldy Bear Series: Catering to Nobody, Dying for Chocolate, The Cereal Murders, The Last Suppers, Killer Pancake, The Main Corpse, The Grilling Season, Prime Cut, Tough Cookie, Sticks and Scones, Chopping Spree, Double Shot, Dark Tort (Set of 13 Culinary Mystery Novels)

Average customer rating:

Goldy Bear Series: Catering to Nobody, Dying for Chocolate, The Cereal Murders, The Last Suppers, Killer Pancake, The Main Corpse, The Grilling Season, Prime Cut, Tough Cookie, Sticks and Scones, Chopping Spree, Double Shot, Dark Tort (Set of 13 Culinary Mystery Novels)
Diane Mott Davidson
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VEHCZQ

Amazon.com

An award-winning science fiction author, Sarah Zettel proves equally adept at high fantasy with The Sorcerer's Treason, her fantasy debut. This compelling novel, which blends elements of Russian, Chinese, and Indian myth to create a complex and believable new world, should please Zettel's fans and earn her an appreciative new audience.

A lonely, vision-haunted outcast, Bridget Lederle maintains a Lake Superior lighthouse. A vision leads her to rescue a strangely dressed shipwreck victim who claims to be from another world--a world which, he says, Bridget is destined to save. Impossibly, Valin Kalami knows she has visions of the past and future--and he too has visions. After seeing his visions of Isavalda, Bridget agrees to sail with him across the Land of Death and Spirit to his world. There she discovers she may not trust Valin--or anyone else in the treacherous, intrigue-tangled imperial court of Isavalta.

Zettel's SF novels are Reclamation, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel and a Philip K. Dick Award finalist; Fool's War, a New York Times Notable Book; Playing God; The Quiet Invasion; and Kingdom of Cages. --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

A World of Magic and Peril1899, Sand Island, Wisconsin: Bridget Lederle is a lighthouse keeper on this stormy, windswept shore of Lake Superior. One cold night she sees a boat foundering near the island's shoals, and rescues its lone occupant. The strangely dressed sailor tells her a fantastic tale, of Isavalta, a world where magic reigns, and where she is-incredibly-destined to play a key role in a power struggle between the Dowager Empress and her foes.Isavalta, where magic can be found in the pattern of knots on a string, the colors of a dress, or even smoke in the air, beckons to her. Bridget has the second sight of her family, but the magical land where she will go with the sailor holds far greater marvels, and terrible perils that even she cannot see. For she carries secrets within her that even she doesn't know, secrets that could change the fate of the fabulous magical world that calls her home . . .

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, but at times amateurish.......2007-03-07

"A Sorceror's Treason" follows the story of Bridget Lederle, a young woman who discovers the truth about her heritage and is whisked away to another world, Isvalata. There, she is swept up in the political and magical schemings between representatives from three kingdoms and a set of mysterious spirit powers. Amidst the confusion, Bridget must learn to discern truth from lie, ally from enemy, and how to deal with the strong magics within her.

The plot itself is not original, but it keeps you entertained nonetheless. There is a rich background for many of the characters, which I thought was one of the more interesting aspects of the book. There are deep loyalties and betrayals, hopes and regrets, and you can't really bring yourself to despise any of the characters, even the villans. That being said, there are many characters you can't bring yourself to like, either, but there is a nice mix of characters and interactions.

A few of the things that I didn't like: the writing style could be very amateurish sometimes. The author used some idisyncracies that just bothered me (for example, referring to characters whose name we didn't know yet by some attribute, so a person with a white beard was called Santa Claus, etc). The reasonings behind some of the events were often cliched, and outcomes predictable. Descriptions were vague when it mattered, and superfluous when it didn't. Much of the plot was supported by the interactions between the three kingdoms of Isavalta, Hung-Tse, and Hastinapura, but there were no maps to give the reader a geography.

The magic in the novel also had its ups and downs. The author used a concept of "weaving" magic, which I thought was very interesting. But there was no rhyme or reason to its use. Certain things were simply impossible in come cases, and in others, a character would use some ingenious spell to get themselves out of trouble. It was very erratic. Also, despite the claims to the use of Chinese and Indian mythology, the only references to this were the Phoenix and the name of the land Hastinapura. Nothing else was used, and I was a little disappointed by it.

Then there were the spirit powers, which were vaguely defined. They actively interfered in lives, and laid out their own plans, but it was never explained who these beings were or why they did the things they did. They were purposely left in mystery, which I suppose has its uses, but I found it annoying. Some plot twists were created by the actions of these powers, but without having any reasoning behind it, readers were simply left to shrug their shoulders and go along with it.

Despite these flaws, this was not a bad novel. The pace flowed smoothly, and like I mentioned earlier, there were some interesting concepts to chew on. Although I would not classify this as a great or memorable book, it is still an enjoyable read - think light entertainment.

Unexploited potential.......2006-04-17

A Sorcerer's Treason is a standard fantasy book. Bridget Lederle's discovery of her heritage and powers, her journey into a new world -- these are all well-hashed motifs in fantasy literature. It remains therefore to judge Zettel on the execution, which left some to be desired.

First, as other reviewers have remarked, the character of Bridget -- supposedly the main character -- is anemic and unendearing. Mostly she tags along or does what she's told, displaying precious little initiative of her own throughout the majority of the book. Zettel fails to provide a physical description, or even specify her age, which made it hard for me to visualize Bridget. In short, I felt very little sympathy for the main character.

The other characters tended to be archtypical and predictable. The villainous Kalami is evil and manipulative, without a shred of decency; the empress Ananda is virtuous, loving and strong; and so on, and so forth. The clear black-and-white distinction between good and evil was disappointing.

Zettel's writing style could also use work. (This is her debut novel, so hopefully she's improved.) In this book her style was a bit cheesy and trite, and the dialogue suffered from an uncomfortable mix of ultra-formal ("how came you here?") and informal. Occasionally there were elementary-school level grammar mistakes, such as starting a sentence with "But, ...". The worst thing for me was that there was simply no atmosphere.

After the (very) slow start, I did become caught-up in the plot, up until the very end. The ending scene was frankly ridiculous, and the end of the evil sorcerer could have been lifted as-is from a Pratchett book. All in all, I would recommend this book only if bought used.

Fantasy at its best........2005-03-12

Bridget Lederle takes care of the lighthouse on an island in one of the Great Lakes. She leads a lonely life being an outcast from the local community after having had an illegitimate baby who died soon after birth. One night she saves a mysterious stranger from a storm. The stranger claims he is a sorcerer from a place 'beyond the land of death' and he wants to take Bridget back with him. With nothing to keep her on Sand island and with a compulsion she cannot understand, Bridget follows Kalami back to his home of Isavalta where her the story really begins and she finds out more about her past than she could ever have dreamed of.
Sarah Zettle, known for her science fiction writing, has proved, with this first book in the Isavaltan trilogy, that she is as capable of producing outstanding fantasy as she is sci-fi. This is fantasy at its best and manages to be that rare beast, an original story in a genre where there are so many tales that are just a variation on a theme.

Well paced, but too many rabbit trails.......2005-02-08

Bridgt Lederle, a lighthouse keeper on Lake Superior, finds she has a destiny in a land called Isavalta. She discovers that she is a powerful sorcereress but is caught in the intrigue of an aging dowager, intrigue and betrayal.

I read the first book, and couldn't wait to read the next. While there are many similarities, this one took a different turn. The pace was good, there was a mapped out story, but I was left unsatisfied at the end.

There were too many rabbit trails i.e. Land of Death, Baba Yaga/Vixen, Bridgit's aunt, etc. that were never really completed. Too many areas were touched on that seemed interesting, but took you away from the main story. I also thought that Bridgit was not really the main character, the driving force of the book, nor was she the one that I admired most. She was supposed to be a powerful sorceress, but she hardly did any magic herself. If I were to choose my favorite character, it would be either Sakra or Ananada. There were also too many characters to remember and keep track of. The story lacked the driving focus of the climax; derailed so many times by those rabbit holes. It merely concluded, and then the story ended.

Sarah Zettel did try hard to weave the myths and story of Isavalta together, and it is compelling reading. It would be a fine book to get lost in if you don't mind the rabbit trails.

I loved it!.......2004-10-04

This was the most enjoyable fantasy trilogy I have read for a long time. Bridget is entirely believable, as are all the other characters. The author draws you in from the first and slowly you are addicted.

I loved the settings, from what seemed like some historical town of the old americas, to the very russian fantasyscape of Isavalta and their neighbouring kingdoms very much based on India and China.

Briget is a lonely lighthouse keeper who lives isolated from society. She is rejected and vilified, avoided even by her blood kin.

At just the right pace, author reveals there is more to Brigets story than solitary Briget is aware.

Other realms are reaching into hers, and entangling her in their own plots, which culminate when a man comes to her one dark night to bring her ask for help.

Isavalta. A land facing treacherous times -- Medeoan, the aging ruler who has sent this man -- her son, the King, who has been bewitched by his evil wife -- the faithful sorceror, risking all to do his masters bidding. And the otherworld, which takes an unhealthy interest in Isavalta.

The culmination and cooking pot of all these frequently misused plot elements is brillant and delightful, as they are stirred into just the right mix of new and exciting. And nothing is quite as it seems.

It was so beautifully written. As a trilogy, I would rate it on par with the wonderful collaboration of Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurtis in the Servant of the Empire series.

I have given it five stars and if I could rate it higher, I would.
It's a fantastic book, you have to read it - a jewel for any collection.

Average customer rating:

A Sorcerer's Treason (Isavalta Trilogy)
Sarah Zettel
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sorcerers Treason-Book.1 Of Isavalta Trilo

Average customer rating:

Sorcerers Treason-Book.1 Of Isavalta Trilo
Sarah Zettel
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8WQYQ

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