The Dark Wind (Jim Chee Novels)

Book Description

A corpse whose palms and soles have been "scalped" is only the first in a series of disturbing clues: an airplane's mysterious crash in the nighttime desert, a bizarre attack on a windmill, a vanishing shipment of cocaine. Sgt. Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police is trapped in the deadly web of a cunningly spun plot driven by Navajo sorcery and white man's greed.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good.......2007-05-22

well this gook was really good.it was about an indain man named Jim Chee who was walking on a trail in the middle of the desert and found a boot lying in the middle of the trail and a few steps later he saw a dead man with his hands and feet skined.and one late night at a little little air strip Jim heard a plane flying realy low but could not see any lights from the plane that had crashed but a "white" man told him not to get into it.and this is a start of a religos peroid.but other bad thigs happen withch i dont want to spoil it for you.

NOW, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!.......2007-01-03

Recently I read THE SHAPE SHIFTER by Tony Hillerman and was disappointed by the overall shoddiness of the writing and story. It just wasn't what I had come to expect from, arguably, one of the best writers to come along in recent years. So I went back and read THE DARK WIND. I suppose I wanted to see whether my expectations had become unfairly high or if there really was an appreciable difference between one of Hillerman's early novels and his latest.

What I discovered was absolutely striking. Here in THE DARK WIND was the detail, the thought, the word-smithing excellence and the professionalism that made Hillerman a sensation. Here were the various single threads of plotline that seem, at first, to be so disconnected and unrelated but that, in the hands of the master, are then woven into the fabric of a splendid story. I rediscovered that THE DARK WIND is what I have come to expect from a Hillerman tale and its characteristics are to be found in many of Hillerman's most esteemed works. Here are the allusions to Navajo culture, with its simplicity, charm and mysticism, interspersed with the trappings of the modern world as Jim Chee comes face to face with mystery, murder and witchery. Here were the colors, scenery and the splendor that Hillerman invariably sets as the backdrop to his stories. Here was the literary integrity that I have missed in Hillerman's more recent offerings.

If you've just read THE SHAPE SHIFTER and have determined to take an indefinite break from Tony Hillerman, think again and pick up one of his earlier stories. You might want to do what I did and reread THE DARK WIND!

THE HORSEMAN

Excellent. Just Excellent........2005-02-02

I have read every one of Hillerman's books and now I am working my way through them as books on tape. Gil Silverbird read this book and he did a fantastic job.

"The Dark Wind" is one of Hillerman's best. He gives you a good solid bit of Native culture with a murder and a drug deal gone bad and it makes an unbeatable combination. Excellent.

"A dark wind has entered his soul" .......2004-09-22

"Enemies unseen... Fears unspoken...... A dark wind has entered his soul"

Navajo Tribal Police Sgt. Jim Chee seems to be batting zero; so far he has not been able to solve a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. In an area that was joint use land between the Navaho and the Hopi (now Hopi) Sgt Jim Chee is given the task of finding the vandal that keeps destroying a windmill placed there to make Hopi life easer. He hears an airplane landing in the dark of night with no lights. The plane crashes and leaves a dying pilot. Also a dead man sitting up against a rock with a note in his hand saying if you want it back contact...

Sgt Chee is told that it is probably drugs and federal jurisdiction. Chee is not supposed to go anywhere near or have anything to do with the case. He has his own problems with the mill, a missing thief, and a mysterious ritual death. Naturally he listens, and can not help it if they overlap.

One of the reasons for reading Hillerman's books maybe more important than the overlying mystery is the descriptions of the area and the Ways of the Navaho and Hopi. Hillerman suggests you also read "The Book of the Hopi" by Frank Waters.

Not as intricate as the book but still fun is the movie "Dark Wind" (Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Jim Chee, Fred Ward as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn)

good book.......2003-10-16

"The Dark Wind" is a very interesting book. It has a lot of suspense and Hillerman takes you into the book with his descriptions. This book is a murder mystery that keeps you thinking. It also keeps getting weirder as you read.
The book starts with three Hopi Indians walking up a trail and discovering a boot lying in the middle of it. They walk up the trail a little ways more and discover a dead body. The body was reported and picked up some time after the three Hopis discovered it. by the time it was recovered it couldn't be identified. Later in the book Jim Chee (the main character) is told to watch a windmill that has been vandalized two times before. in the middle of the night Chee hears a plane flying low, but cant see any lights from it. a short while later he hears a crash and goes to investigate. When he gets there he finds two people dead and one that is almost dead. He trys to find out what happened form the one that is alive, but he dies before he can say anything.
The book keeps going like this getting Chee mixed up in all of it. Chee knows he didn't do anything wrong, but he is the only one that thinks that he is innocent. Over all I would recommend this book to any body that likes mysteries or that just wants a book that makes you think and makes you feel like your right there with the characters

Dark Wind: A Survivor's Tale of Love and Loss

Average customer rating:

A book written from the heart
A very moving memoir
error in listing.
not too much love but a lot of loss
a brave memoir

Dark Wind: A Survivor's Tale of Love and Loss
Gordon Chaplin
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452281822
Release Date: 2000-06-05

Amazon.com

Dark Wind is much more than one man's story of a disastrous sailing trip that cost the life of his lover, though its blow-by-blow narrative of the typhoon that wrecked their ship and swept them into the sea is reason enough to read his searing memoir. What distinguishes Gordon Chaplin's book from others of its kind is its stripped-down prose, its unsentimental depiction of a passionate but less-than-perfect romance, and its bleak acceptance of the fact that "actions have consequences"--in this case, fatal ones. Chaplin and Susan Atkinson met when she was married to his college roommate. Their shared love of adventure was soon apparent when, on a sail with their then respective spouses, the two argued for outrunning a storm that their partners wanted to avoid by returning to shore. When they got together 12 years later, her marriage had failed and the affair blew his apart. Risk taking was one of the foundations of their relationship, but it always came harder to Atkinson than to Chaplin, and in the end it undid them. Real failure is the crux of this memoir, and it's both terrifying and oddly liberating to read this scarifying account by a writer who honestly admits to being "someone whose best wasn't good enough." --Wendy Smith

Book Description

In 1992 Gordon Chaplin and Susan Atkinson set off from the Mosquito Coast in a thirty-six-foot sailboat. Behind them were the choices they had made--to leave their spouses and families and live life together on the edge. Ahead of them was the gleaming Pacific, schools of dolphins and flying fish, and days marked by the rising and setting of the sun. They had an intense romance, fueled by their love of the sea, for adventure, and for risk. Then, in a hidden paradise called Wotho atoll, a dark wind caught up with Chaplin and Atkinson, and plunged them into a horrific, tragic night.

Chaplin looks back at the forces that drove them to Wotho atoll, at the choices they made, the things that might have changed their fate, and at his own culpability in the disaster. Both an adventure tale and a cry of the heart, Dark Wind is a pulse-pounding tale of the sea and a haunting voyage of the human conscience--a powerful and truly unforgettable work.

"Courageous and powerful . . . Chaplin is an accomplished writer . . . This is a book about love, its elusiveness, its power, its necessity." --The Baltimore Sun

"Vivid, tense, and moving." --The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A book written from the heart.......2005-08-27

After reading some of these reviews I wonder if the people writing them actually read the book or maybe they never experienced a lost love. It is clear the author has written a very gripping account of paradise found and lost. I give him credit for seeking it out and finding it which is something most people never do. I have just started sailing and this book has reminded me just how powerful and deadly a force nature can be, regardless of preparation and skill. It is a risk all people who venture out to sea take and it is no different than driving a car. It is a good thing if this book causes people to err on the side of caution.

A very moving memoir.......2004-02-24

I've read this book twice in the last two weeks, A very moving story of two people looking for adventure. After both previous marriges fall apart they set upon a journy that ultimately takes the life of one and leaves the other searching his soul for forgiveness. Some how it has left me feeling evey emotion that I think Mr Chaplin had wanted to achieve with the writing of this book. A great book! A real joy reading. I just wish it were possible to tell Mr. Chaplin himself.

error in listing........2001-11-09

I am the author of Dark Wind, Gordon Chaplin, and this is not a review. I'd like to correct your listing of my books, which begins with the out of print audiobook version of Dark Wind, instead of the in-print paperback edition. Would it be possible to list the paperback first? Thank you for your attention.
Gordon Chaplin

not too much love but a lot of loss.......2001-04-06

If you want modern sailing, adventures, dilemmas, botched revenges, lies, exotic settings, anxious families back home and eventual disaster in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places in the world, this is your book. Dark wind tells an average tale about contemporary sailors: middle-aged couple, bouncing out of failed marriages, decides to have the big trip before it's too late: Belize, Panama, back to the US by plane, when the family needs attention, and beyond. Twilights, sunsets, the weird floating society of a port full of foreigners and their boats. Lonesome beaches, mechanical mishaps, the purchase of an EPIRB system: no classic sailing story, here, in the manner of Patrick O'Brien, but autopilots, engines and tourism. People who argue, face hard times and may look selfish. No multi-talented sailor-hero around the world on sight, either. This book is a memoir, a real story about people who suffered while chasing their dreams, and it rings true, even if it's not, which is rather out of the point as far as I'm concerned. It also provides a charming route to follow in the future, autopilot and all. And it taught me something else: if the hurricane comes close, don't ever do what they did.

a brave memoir.......2001-02-11

Some reviewers may not have liked Gordon personally (a bit self-absorbed, seems to bail on his daughters, runs off with his friend's wife...), but they shouldn't hold that against his tale. The story of his ill-fated trip is more of a memoir than an adventure. I'm not sure how a critic could say the story was not convincing -- it's real and very affecting. I don't want to give away the plot, but this is a wrenching tale. How many times have we thought, "If I'd only done x, y or z..." Gordon rakes himself over the coals over and over again, but nothing can bring back the past. I thought he was brave to write of his own personal suffering, even if you don't happen to side with him. I agree that the writing wasn't as good as the very best, but it was exciting and detailed and very solid. Okay, not literary, but respectable enough for its genre. Overall, if you like a bit of the personal mixed in with adventure, you will appreciate this book although remember it is difficult in parts because of the tragedy. Overall, it was an absorbing read.

Tony Hillerman : Three Jim Chee Mysteries ( People of Darkness / The Dark Wind / The Ghostway )

Average customer rating:

Three Jim Chee Mysteries
I've read about everything Hillerman has written.
Hillerman creates the perfect '90s hunk in Jim Chee.
Fast paced mysteries with glimpses into Dinetah

Tony Hillerman : Three Jim Chee Mysteries ( People of Darkness / The Dark Wind / The Ghostway )
Tony Hillerman
Manufacturer: Wings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0517092816
Release Date: 1993-04-14

Amazon.com

Three powerful mysteries are compiled in one volume, all featuring Navajo Tribal Policeman Jim Chee. People of Darkness asks questions of cultural identity and tribal beliefs. Set in the southwestern Bad Country, a bloodthirsty assassin waits to prevent the revelation of 30-year-old secrets. The Dark Wind is filled with Navajo sorcery and white man's greed. After Chee is barred from following up on a multimillion-dollar drug case, he discovers that a vandalism incident and a murder may be tied to the case. The Ghostway includes a healing ceremony whose cure could be death. Follow an odyssey of murder and revenge that moves from a traditional Navajo dwelling to contemporary Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews:

Three Jim Chee Mysteries.......2004-09-22

"People of Darkness"

"The mole, his hunting place is darkness."

"The mole, his hunting song is silence."

Sgt Jim Chee of the Navaho tribal police is asked by the wife of Benjamin J. Vines to retrieve a mysterious box stolen from her husband's safe while he was away. When mister vines returns he tells Chee that it was all a mistake and hands Chee a check. We all know Chee can not let this lay still so the mystery leads him to people that use a mole for their talisman "The people of Darkness" and it appears that something (or someone) is killing them all off.

The mystery is fair and Tony Hillerman does not hide clues or surprise suspects to the last minute so it is not too hard to guess most of the plot or who the good guys and bad guys are. We are introduced to the Navaho concept of witches and Mary Landon who will play parts (if she survives) in future novels. In the process we get a vivid description of the four corners and other areas near buy. In People of darkness he picks up a Lota Burger and I have eaten a few of them my self. In future books we will be introduced to the Navaho Taco. For the anthropologist in us he describes many sings and ways.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Dark Wind"

"A dark wind has entered his soul"

"Enemies unseen... Fears unspoken...... A dark wind has entered his soul"

Navajo Tribal Police Sgt. Jim Chee seems to be batting zero; so far he has not been able to solve a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. In an area that was joint use land between the Navaho and the Hopi (now Hopi) Sgt Jim Chee is given the task of finding the vandal that keeps destroying a windmill placed there to make Hopi life easer. He hears an airplane landing in the dark of night with no lights. The plane crashes and leaves a dying pilot. Also a dead man sitting up against a rock with a note in his hand saying if you want it back contact...

Sgt Chee is told that it is probably drugs and federal jurisdiction. Chee is not supposed to go anywhere near or have anything to do with the case. He has his own problems with the mill, a missing thief, and a mysterious ritual death. Naturally he listens, and can not help it if they overlap.

One of the reasons for reading Hillerman's books maybe more important than the overlying mystery is the descriptions of the area and the Ways of the Navaho and Hopi. Hillerman suggests you also read "The Book of the Hopi" by Frank Waters.

Not as intricate as the book but still fun is the movie "Dark Wind" (Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Jim Chee, Fred Ward as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Ghostway"

Shoot out at the Wash-O-Mat

A Shoot out at the Shiprock Wash-O-Mat leads to a puzzle that only Jim Chee with his knowledge of the Ghostway and of death rituals can try to peace together. Related is a disappearance of a school girl (Margaret Sosi) will lead Jim from the New Mexico landscape to the Los Angeles area. There with Hillerman's gift for description we also get a contrasting look of the different worlds. Will He find the girl and what does the puzzle spell out, or will it ever become clear?
This is a close continuation of "People of Darkness" so many of the descriptions and people were previously defined in that book. The reason people read Hillerman is mostly for the descriptions of the places and people his characters encounter. As seen in previous books, in the description of Margaret and other characters, he incorporates his real life experience with World War II and its aftermath.

I've read about everything Hillerman has written........1998-07-05

I've read about everything Hillerman has written, and listened to most of his recorded Books on Tape. I'm an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer and appreciate his fascination and his realistic approach to this original American culture.

Hillerman creates the perfect '90s hunk in Jim Chee........1998-04-09

Tony Hillerman writes great mysteries with complex characters and beautiful descriptions of Navajo country. But when he came up with Navajo police officer Jim Chee, he created the perfect '90s man. Chee is gentle, spiritual, strong, mostly silent, and smart. Plus, he recognizes his own failings--and tries to become a better man. Whew! Who could ask for anything more?

In this book of three earlier Jim Chee mysteries we get the best of Hillerman and a nice dose of all the things he's rightly famous for. There are insights into Native American culture, beautiful descriptions of the Southwest, intriguing mysteries and even a little love story.

When Jim Chee falls in love with Mary Landon, a Wisconsin school teacher who wants him to leave the reservation and work for the FBI, two of the mysteries allow us to follow the development of that relationship as Hillerman explores the difficulties of a cross-cultural relationship. Chee's struggle with his personal life gives a great deal of texture to the mysteries, and his efforts to be both a Navajo singer and a policeman create tension between his personal and professional duties.

Of course, the best part of these mysteries is Hillerman's marvelous grasp of character and place. Open this book and you'll lose yourself on the Navajo reservation with as interesting a group of people as you'll ever wish to meet in real life. Especially that Jim Chee character!

Fast paced mysteries with glimpses into Dinetah.......1998-04-08

Hillerman, a former newspaperman, spend many,many years in the Southwest, and his novels are set in a land he knows very well. From the mesas to the Chinle Wash these three novels exude the bold topography of the Navajo Nation.

Jim Chee is a member of the Tribal Police, struggling with one foot in the ancient tradions of his born-to and born-for clans while trying to assimilate modern mores. His on-again off-again love is Janet, a spirited Native American lawyer, whose thoroughly modern stance clashes with his ambiguous identity.

Through Jim Chee we experience glimpses into Dinetah, the land, and culture of a fascinating people. The brushstrokes that create this world are deft, with a pyschological appreciation for each character. Hillerman creates a world for all senses to enjoy.

Two stories are set in the Navajo Nation, while one begins there and travels to Los Angeles, CA. Layers upon layers unravel, as Chee investigates seemingly random and unrelated bits. I especially appreciate the culture interwoven into the story line, yet never felt this done in a heavy-handed way.

Each novel is a jewel, each with it's own merits. Villians may be expected, or nearly the last person you suspect, but you'll have your consciousness raised while loving every minute of these tales. Atmospheric, sensitive and compelling Hillerman with have you longing for a trip to this world.

Book Description

While Peter is away from the island, James and the other Lost Boys discover a mysterious cave. Shining Pearl and her sister Little Scallop warn the boys that the cave is a dangerous place, inhabited by a creature known as the Goat Taker - a beast so scary that even the Mollusk tribe fears it. But the boys can't resist trying to discover the cave's secrets. When the first of those secrets turns out to be a tantalizing hint of a famous haunted treasure, Captain Hook and his band of cutthroat pirates quickly join the hunt. Before long the children are fleeing for their lives in a dark and deadly underground labyrinth ... and their only hope of escape is to solve the mystery of the cave of the dark wind.

Customer Reviews:

Back to Neverland.......2007-08-21

My daughter says Cave of the Dark Wind is just as exciting as Escape from the Carnivale. She can't wait for more Never Land Adventures.

Cave of the Dark Wind: A Never Land Book (Never Land Adventure).......2007-08-11

Execellent! My grandchildren loved every word. I will be buying all in this series.
Yolanda
Edmond, Ok

Please Help Fight Breast Cancer: http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm

Yesterday is the past Tomorrow is the future Today is a "Gift" That is why it
is called the "Present"

Dark Trees to the Wind A Cycle of York State Years

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Dark Trees to the Wind A Cycle of York State Years
Carl Carmer
Manufacturer: William Sloane Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GVI63G

Average customer rating:

"A dark wind has entered his soul"

The Dark Wind
Tony Hillerman
Manufacturer: HarperPrism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 006100491X

Customer Reviews:

"A dark wind has entered his soul".......2004-12-07

Average customer rating:

DEVIL WIND #4 (Dark Forces, No. 4)
Barbara Brenner
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0553267353
Release Date: 1984-12-01

Average customer rating:

A great cliff hanger

Listening Woman
tony hillerman
Manufacturer: harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

A great cliff hanger.......2007-02-11

Joe Leaphorn can put the loose ends together even when no one else realizes there are loose ends. The story starts out with an old man being bludgeoned and later Leaphorn is intentionally almost rundown by a mysterious man in gold rimed glasses. He tries to tie these together. Then he uses an old robbery as an excuse to get out of a Boy Scout commitment and track down the antagonist. Needles to say the story gets more convoluted for everyone but Leaphorn.

This is an excellent story with the added plus of the description of the area and the Navaho that occupies this area. What seems at first to be over description later enhances the final scenes.

Speaking about the location and Navaho, even the schools, this story is even more enjoyable if you read "Seldom Disappointed" first. Tony describes how he comes by the plot and the people. He even goes out to locations first as research.

I have read the book but the addition of the voice of George Guidall adds a dimension to the story by helping visualize the people and correcting pronunciation of certain words. I suggest you read the book and listen to the recorded version.

The Dark Wind: Witches and the Concept of Evil

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The Dark Wind: Witches and the Concept of Evil
Gary R. Varner
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1430318139

Book Description

The Dark Wind provides a survey of witches around the world, their prehistoric origin and how society has viewed them throughout history. Folklorist Gary R. Varner explores the use of magic, spells and curses among indigenous groups as well as state approved religions such as those observed in ancient Rome and Greece, and how even contemporary Christianity uses many of the same "magic" combinations. Also examined is the current "witch craze" in several countries where thousands are being killed as witches,the underlying reasons for this tragedy and the history of anti-witchcraft laws. The Dark Wind is a book for everyone interested in anthropology, archaeology, ancient history, religion and the occult. Illustrated with contemporary woodcuts and drawings. The author is a member of the American Folklore Society and the Foundation for Mythological Studies.

3 Titles in The Jim Chee Series - People of Darkness - The Dark Wind - The Ghostway

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3 Titles in The Jim Chee Series - People of Darkness - The Dark Wind - The Ghostway
Tony Hillerman
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000SQWVSK

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Average customer rating:

worthy of the story

As far from fluff as you can get...

Stunning Myth-Weaving & World-Building

Lacking a strong story line.

Somebody keep that man away from the lillies, or he will gild them to death!
Lavondyss: Journey to an Unknown Region
Robert Holdstock
Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Holdstock, Robert | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Hollowing

Mythago Wood

Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn (Mythago Cycle)

Celtika (Holdstock, Robert. Merlin Codex, Bk. 1,)

The Iron Grail (Merlin Codex Book 2)

ASIN: 0765307316

Book Description

When Harry Keeton disappeared into Ryhope Wood, his sister Tallis was just an infant. Now, thirteen years old, she hears him whispering to her from the Otherworld. He is in danger. He needs her help. To help him, she must find her way to Lavondyss, at the heart of the wildwood, where she will be changed forever.

Customer Reviews:

worthy of the story.......2007-08-22

I loved Mythago Wood, and yet it was with reluctance I bought Lavondyss. Lavondyss was a place simply hinted at in the first book, so intriguing that if there was a chance of it being expanded upon in further books, it would be worth the buy. I was not dissapointed. The time flow is a bit choppy, and I hate re reading what I've alredy been over to figure out how much time has passed or what happened, yet I found myself doing that three or four times in this book. That aside, this book is almost as good as the first one, and better in its own way. The description was amazing, and the end of the story was fufilling and worthy of what it was set up to be in the beginning.

As far from fluff as you can get..........2007-03-06

Generally, I consider myself to be more of a science fiction fan than a fastasy fan. Most fantasy novels seem too much the same to me - wizards, knights, fairies, etc. dressed up in flowery language with cutesy names. Too many modern fantasy writers seem to forget that many of the elements of the fantasy genre are based on much older stories, and those stories on others much older than them. Robert Holdstock quite masterfully taps into the essence of myth, legend, and fairy tale, stripping away all of the modern frippery and exposing them for what they really are - deep rooted stories of fear, desperation and tragedy. For those who felt that the story was too violent, I encourage them to do some research into what life was like in the "olden days." It was not a quaint tale of bucolic bliss but short, brutish, and frequently cruel. Although I loved "Mythago Wood," "Lavondyss" is far superior and complex in examining the genesis and evolution of myth. It is an eerie, uneasy, discomforting book and all the more powerful for that. If you're looking for a story that will give you the warm fuzzies, stick to more standard fantasy fare. If you're looking for a book that will challenge your ideas about myth and story and haunt you for many days after, "Lavondyss" is about as good as it gets.

Stunning Myth-Weaving & World-Building.......2006-09-15

Judging by some of the other reviews, this book is to complex for some people. But if you think you're up to it intellectualy, this is a truly stunning read that will profoundly affect you.

I read this first, and having just finished it's predecessor, Mythago Wood, I have to say that Lavondyss is by far the more developed and powerful of the two. The imagery is simply stunning, particularly the first half of the book. It evokes wonderful images of nature, mythology and fantasy. The second half concerns a quest and it is very abrupt jump from the first half, but you get used to it. While not as visually stunning as the first half, it is none the less very powerful and addictive.

This book is an emotioanlly wrenching tragedy in the classical sense of the word, and the twists and turns are beautifully and wonderfully convoluted and realised, the sort of book that will take several readings to fully appreciate (if I can bring myself to read it again - it is very emotioanlly draining).

If you have a love of mythology, nature, the wildwoods and truly breathtaking fantasy, read this book.

Lacking a strong story line........2006-07-24

Lavondyss tells the story of Tallis, Harry Keeton's much younger sister. Tallis is a strange little girl who likes to listen to Gaunt the old gardner's folk tales, and to bards' songs. Finding the true name of a place and making strange masks out of dead wood and sun bleached animal bones are her favourite games.

One day, while playing in an old oak tree, she catches a glimpse of another world, where she witnesses the death in battle of a handsome young man named Scathach, whom she falls in love with.

Soon she'll understand that she's actually connected to the magic of Mythago Wood, and that she might be able to save her brother, who's been lost in the Wood for years, causing their father much grief. Several years later, deeming herself finally ready, she decides to enter the forest and look for Scathach, as well as for a way into Lavondyss, where she believes Harry is trapped.

To say the truth, even though I found Robert Holdstock's world building and myth creation rather impressive and enchanting, I really missed the presence of a strong story line to keep me in suspense, and as a result I found the book a tad boring at times, as well as confusing.

Somebody keep that man away from the lillies, or he will gild them to death!.......2006-02-21

I read Mythago Wood and loved it. I was excited to move right on to Lavondyss, knowing it was considered perhaps obscure but ultimately more rewarding. Good God, was i wrong. The book is overwritten and hopelessly convoluted. Furthermore it suffers from a preciousness that insists on overdescribing everything. For example, at one point that main character finds a dismembered penis, which she refers to as "a sorrowing." A sorrowing? Dude, it's a cut off penis. Don't get cute on me. Also, cut off penises are the tip of the ice berg when it comes to mangled, slashed, destroyed and burned body parts that litter the pages. The fact that it's so gratuitious makes it absoltuely boring. At some point, you get to your 60th chopped off head or your 20th devoured corpse and your eyes glaze over and you long for the controlled brutality of, say, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where at least nobody stoops to describing body parts in the romantic diction of an insufferable college poem about losing their virginity. I usually don't write smack down reviews of books that I've read- god knows the poor authors struggle enough- but sometiems you need to step up and say, people, this is not good. This is bad. Looking at all the positive reviews, I am filled with dread. If we continue to encourage and perpetuate this type of writing, my favorite authors will be ruined as they let themsleves get lax and start putting down on the page everything that pops into their heads. We must make a stand against overwritten tripe! Robert Holdstock is a good author. He's written a great book in Mythago Wood. Then he went off hte deep end and wrote this. I almost threw it away half way through, but I became rivited by the desperation in the prose. It's horrifyign and compelling to watch Holdstock struggle to make sense of htis and come up with the most mundane twists on everything. A character can't walk across a room without turning into a giant tree, a wolf, an incarnation of themselves as a child and finally, oh, a steaming pile of horse hockey. Read this to learn how not to write. If you still doubt me, just go through the book and count all the times the characters say, "Of course!" And then proceed to pull some amazing revelation out of their mind that the author just totally made up and is completely not related to the text, or is related in a kind of enjambed forced at sword point sort of way. They say of course like every page. Every. Page. At least for a while there. Don't spend money on this book, send it to a fund we'll set up to hire a roaming editor who will dispense vengence on writers who try to perpetrate this junk under the banner of art. It is really the black flag banner of anarchy.

Average customer rating:

Complex like a celtic knot
Dream-like quality reading!
Wonderful
A sequel that's better than the original.
Booooooooriiing!!!

Lavondyss: Journey to an Unknown Region
Robert Holdstock
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0688091857

Customer Reviews:

Complex like a celtic knot.......2004-08-09

This book is not for the faint of heart, nor for the impatient. It delves far deeper than Mythago Wood and to compare the two is useless. Mythago Wood was short, enjoyable, but fell short, lacking the substance of Lavondyss. Lavondyss is eerie, intricate and dizzying at times, and I feel it requires more than one reading to grasp all the delightful nuances. This is not your regular fare of fantasy, but a far more intelligent read.

Dream-like quality reading!.......2004-03-08

After reading Mythago Wood, I really got into this 2nd novel, but after a bout halfway through it, found it mired in non-movement.

The story did not progress as fast as Mythago Wood, and I can see why people didn't like it as much. I found myself inthralled at the writing, which is excellent by the way, but at mid-way, found myself growing bored with no progression in the storyline.

I liked the overall dreamy feel and quality of this finely written novel, but I wanted more action and adventure like in the 1st one. Tallis, along with some of the other mythago characters, are quite interesting to read about, but after a while, I felt like I was being force fed muddied dreams. This is one of the few rare books or movie that gave me weird dreams, due to the strange imagery and wording, I suppose.

I think the next novel, The Hollowing, is much better than this one. It has a much faster pace and I only have 60 pages left to read of it before I'm through. I already like the pacing and more adventurous feel to this one. It is much more like Mythago Wood. Still in all, this author is well worth the try.

Wonderful.......2003-04-23

Without a doubt this is Robert Holdstock's finest work, even surpassing the superb Mythago Wood. For some people, Lavondyss DOES require more determination to get the most out of it, but if you have an open mind and good imagination then you'll revel in this work of art. It's marvellous - I can't recommend it highly enough.

A sequel that's better than the original........2001-11-21

No, it's not Mythago Wood. It's significantly better! And one of my all time favorite books. First of all, it's much subtler and deeper than MW. With this novel you can feel that Holdstock finally understands exactly what the world he created in Mythago Wood was truly all about, it's full mystery and nature. MW was a broad brushstroke and cimematic; more like a Hollywood movie, or a pint of strong beer. Lavondyss is the intimate details, refined, full bodied and aged, like a great wine. Both books are excellent, but require different palates to be appreciated.

Booooooooriiing!!!.......2001-09-19

No, it is not like Mithago Wood. Cenrtainly there is The Ryhope Wood, but not Guiweneth, Urskumug, Steven, etc.
Another story in the Mithago Wood, but diferent characters. Boring story, not like the first.

Average customer rating:

Lavondyss - Journey to an Unknown Region
Robert Holdstock
Manufacturer: William Morrow and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKKFBW

Average customer rating:

Lavondyss Journey to An Unknown Region

Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BMWYLA

Average customer rating:

LAVONDYSS. Journey to an Unknown Region.
Robert. Holdstock
Manufacturer: Victor Gollancz Ltd.,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NYI16I

Average customer rating:

Lavondyss: Journey to an Unknown Region
Robert Holdstock
Manufacturer: William Morrow and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Lavondyss: Journey To An Unknown Region (A Sequel To Mythago Wood)

Average customer rating:

Lavondyss: Journey To An Unknown Region (A Sequel To Mythago Wood)
Robert Holdstock
Manufacturer: Victor Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KKBG8A

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