Hornet's Nest

Amazon.com

Patricia Cornwell turns from forensics to police procedures in her latest novel, Hornet's Nest. This book is less a thriller than a character study of the main characters: Judy Hammer, chief of police in Charlotte, North Carolina; Hammer's deputy, Virginia West; and Andy Brazil, a young reporter assigned to ride with the police as they go about their jobs.

Book Description

From the number-one bestselling author of Cause of Death, a knowing and wry novel of big-city police, big-city crime, and the ironic intersections of everyday lives.

It's a city of ambition and pride, a city long ago dubbed "the hornet's nest of America." A swarming symbol dominates the badge of the police department that protects it--the image of a darting, restless fighter: the whirling dervish of a hornet. Like the violence that swirls around Charlotte during a long, hot summer, the hornet traces a dark, angry path, touching down unexpectedly, bringing stings of surprise wherever it lands.

Patricia Cornwell's brilliant new novel carries its own surprises. The creator of Kay Scarpetta, the most fascinating character in contemporary crime fiction, now cunningly reveals the heart and soul of a metropolitan police department. With Charlotte as her simmering background, she propels us into the core of the force through the lives of a dynamic trio of heroes: Andy Brazil, an ambitious young reporter for The Charlotte Observer and an eager--sometimes too eager--volunteer cop; Police Chief Judy Hammer, the professionally strong yet personally troubled guardian of Charlotte's law and order; and her deputy chief, Virginia West, a genuine head-turner who is married to her job. To walk the beat with Hammer, West, and Brazil is to learn the inner secrets of police work--the tensions and the tedium, the hilarity and the heartbreak, the unexpected pump of adrenaline and the rush of courage that can lead to heroics...or death.

Like no one else before, Patricia Cornwell strips away the facade of the badge to lay bare the lives and motives of ordinary mortals in extraordinary circumstances. Hornet's Nest is as real as tonight's police blotter and as page-turning as Cornwell can be.

Also Available on Putnam Berkley Audio!

Download Description

The thrilling new novel about the police department in Charlotte, NC, they call the "hornet's nest"

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing for hardcore Cornwell fans.......2007-08-15

I was disappointed in this book. The story never seems to take off and grip you the way that the Scarpetta series books do. Perhaps many of us have been spoiled by the excellent plot and character development of the Scarpetta series, but - like many others - I found this book to be disappointing and slightly tedious. Still love Cornwell's writing, but if she wants to carry on with this character, the next book will need to be a major improvement.

Hornet's Nest.......2007-03-08

Love Patricia Cornwell books. This one was as good as any. Suspenseful and entertaining.

What was she thinking?.......2006-11-30

I have read several Patricia Cornwell books, and most of them have been out of order. When I opened this book at first I was very eager to read this book have read so many so far, but after 4 pages I was wondering what in the world I was doing. I'm just glad this wasn't the first book of her's I read. This is not a Kay Scarpetta series, and it is not worth your time. Please don't waste your money on this book. After about 50 pages I finally had to give up on the book, and am now reading another of her books which is much better. But I am still trying to finish this one. It is so boring and tedious I find that I am reading about 3 pages per day. If you are looking to read her books in order please skip over this one, unless you want to find yourself really bored.

LOVE THE HUMOR IN THIS BOOK!.......2006-11-18

This is my first novel read of Patricia Cornwell. There were parts of the story that were so heartwarming that my eyes filled with tears. The best part about the writing, however, is the humor packed into so many of the story lines. Patricia Cornwell really knows how to make me laugh!!!! And I just loved the plot and serious, what I would deem to be true-to-life, action in this novel!

Now, I'm going to read all of her other books!

Thanks, Patricia!!!!!!!

Disappointing.......2006-08-17

I started reading Cornwell novels in the last few weeks. I enjoyed two of them, and then I read this one.

The book is difficult to follow. In several instances you are in two or more people's heads in the same paragraph.

The main focus of the novel is that a young reporter gets to work as a volunteer police officer. Many crimes are committed, and all of them seem incidental. The characters are put through agonizing relationships with very little if any resolution.

One particular character that overcomes hardship throughout his life is reduced to self-destructive behavior because of the smallest setbacks. It feels out of character.

I am hard pressed to remember one male in the novel that had redeeming characteristics. They were either self destructive or chauvinistic.

This novel is extremely disappointing. Do yourself a favor and pass it by.

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad Before, During & After the War

Average customer rating:

A good story that deserves a richer telling
Incredible from start to finish
dated and weak analysis, racist?
Excellent and Timely Insights!
A waste of time never to be repeated again!

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad Before, During & After the War
Richard Engel
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1401307620

Book Description

Now in paperback, an insightful book that answers the questions that America wants answered.Based on his private journals and his public interviews, A Fist in the Hornet's Nest is Richard Engel's harrowing, fascinating, and informative view of Iraq from street level. Through his wartime reportage, Engel has emerged as one of the preeminent journalists of his generation and an invaluable source on Middle Eastern affairs.For those in search of an in-depth analysis or those trying to make sense of the recent war, Engel's book is as elucidating as it is riveting. His critical assessments for the future of the Gulf region and his analysis of where the American campaign succeeded and where, in some instances, it has failed constitute a book that is sure to be an invaluable contribution to the Middle Eastern debate for years to come.

Download Description

Written from the Baghdad streets leading up to, during and following the war, this book, from the publishers of the New York Times bestseller THE CELL, will examine from street level the impact of the recent war as well as critical assessments for the future of the Gulf region.

Customer Reviews:

A good story that deserves a richer telling.......2006-08-19

Despite my giving this book a rather lukewarm rating, it does have several things to recommend it. Of these, the strongest is Richard Engel himself. His own story is a pretty impressive one. Fresh out of college, he decided the next frontier of journalism was going to be the Middle East. So he moved to Cairo and taught himself to speak and read Arabic (that right there puts him head-and-shoulders above probably 95 percent of the Americans reporting from the Mideast). With war in Iraq imminent, he made the effort to get to -- and remain in -- Baghdad when most other reporters were getting out. He was rewarded for this by becoming, after Peter Arnett was fired, the only western reporter still in the city as the bombs were falling. So I can't fault Engel at all for his bravery, his foresight, or his commitment to "telling the story."

Another thing Engel should be credited for is his decision while in Baghdad not to watch what other reporters or networks were saying about what was happening around him. (In part, he admits, this was due to the lack of functioning televisions during the bombing campaign. But that reinforced more than prompted his decision.) Engel's coverage therefore avoided the circular nature of reporting-on-what-other-reporters-are-saying that becomes so common during big news events. It also gives the central portion of this book a sort of claustrophobic immediacy -- like most other Iraqis, Engel is only aware of what's happening around him, not what larger picture may be unfolding around him. It's this that makes for the most interesting and evocative part of the book. On the other hand, when the author pulls his focus back -- like the clichéd technique at the end of movies -- to discuss The Big Questions about Iraq's future, the book becomes rather less interesting. Some 30 months after it was published, it's also now obviously fairly dated.

If all that makes for a generally positive review, what I kept coming back to as I was reading "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" is that the writing itself -- the actual prose -- is fairly pedestrian. I suppose you could propose some theory about television reporters, whose primary medium is visual, not having cause to develop descriptive writing skills, and you might have something to that. At any rate, I thought the narrative here was often flat, the metaphors frequently tired, and many scenes that could have justified some vivid descriptive writing instead ended up lacking the emotional punch they deserved. But as a snapshot of the war (as opposed to whatever you want to call the period we're in now), "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" still may be worth a look.

Incredible from start to finish.......2006-07-27

As I plowed through Richard Engel's experiences, a line from the (crappy) movie Armageddon kept ringing in my ears, "...scariest environment imaginable...."

And to think so many brave reporters have literally put their lives on the line to bring us their stories from these tattered war zones. Bottom line, Richard Engel's book is stellar in every way, and I thoroughly enjoyed my read. I found myself wishing the book was longer, thus spreading out my reading as I didn't want it to end. It was not only informative, but so well written. I don't think I've read a more intimate story, and told in such a descriptive manner, without losing the story's momentum.

Surprisingly, I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Engel has a knack for phrasing/wording certain passages with comedic flair, which helped soften the hard edges of the ugliness of war and all of it's brutalities.

As stated in a previous review, I think Hollywood should snatch up the rights to Engel's book as it would make for an amazing theatrical film. Heck, they made that horrid novel Jarhead into a movie-- directed by Sam Mendes of all people. By those standards, Terrence Malik, Steven Soderberg or Micheal Winterbottom (who directed the incredible movie 'Code 46' and 'The Road to Guantanamo') should direct 'A Fist in the Hornet's Nest'.

With the current debacle in Lebanon/Israel well under way, I'm wondering if Engel will have a chance to write another book based on his current experiences covering the conflict.

dated and weak analysis, racist?.......2005-12-31

Engel's book provides an interesting look at what it was like to report on the beginning of the war, however the book shows its age and bias right in the title. Engel seemed to think in 2004 that the war was actually over when we can see today (and I'd think he could have seen at the time) the the war was really just starting. Engel's analysis relies heavily on statements from the US military and discounts Iraqi sources and what he had to be seeing. This book is really heavily pro-war and pro-Israel. Background about his time in Palestine relates events during the Intifada as if the Israeli forces were always forced to respond to Palestinian attacks and fails to see the real situation of brutality and occupation by Israel as causing much of the violence. Engel sees the Iraq War in the same light. The Iraqis are painted as stupid, uncivilized, simple, savages and the US soldiers are just young heros doing their duty. Racist really when you think about it. Anyway, interesting reading if you want to know what it was like for him reporting the war, if you can ignore his analysis and bias.

Excellent and Timely Insights!.......2005-12-27

One of the most impressive (though not explicit) topics in the book is Engel's initiative and fortitude in becoming a mid-East reporter - without any initial contract, contacts, or local language ability.

An early observation by the author was the wide-spread and intense hatred of Israel. Arabs noted that Israel repeatedly ignored U.N. resolutions that it disagreed with - and the U.S. did nothing, while using Hussein's violation of U.N. direction as an excuse to invade.

Just prior to the U.S. taking Baghdad Baath party members set up control points at major intersections - purportedly to defend the city. The acclaimed Republican Guard had been disbanded into homes on the outside of the city - the plan was that they would then come out and encircle the Americans who entered Baghad. It didn't happen.

Pre-invasion "minders" for press personnel generally could not "see" (report) reality - would deny events occuring in front of them such as people fleeing the city.

Iraqi's did not believe Americans with their high-tech weapons accidently hit civilians - thus, this advantage became somewhat of a liability. The blackout caused by U.S. bombing led to another wave of refugees and the initiation of widespread looting. The looters then compounded the electricity problem by stealing wires, etc., leaving citizens with unrealistic expectations for the Americans to resume electrical service.

Shortly after the U.S. takeover, Engel left for ten weeks. Upon returning he found many buying CDs or tapes of torture during Hussein's reign - not because they were voyeurs or sympathetic but because it provided insight into the reality they hadn't known. Numerous newspapers and political parties arose in Saddam's absence.

With their new freedom, many took the opportunity to settle old scores - murder soared to a rate 14X that of New York City. Price controls ended, many renters were forced out into the street, and many had difficulty affording daily living due to the combination of inflation and loss of their government-supplied job.

Engels estimated that there were only 50-75 groups antagnostic to the Americans, focused in the Sunni area. The groups would hire others to do their dirty work. Unfortunately the struggle attracted others from outside Iraq to come in and fight the Americans. Engels did believe that the Iraqi Governing Council, appointed by Bremer, was not a rubber-stamp group. However, while Engels is optimistic at the end, subsequent events have not proven very positive.

A waste of time never to be repeated again!.......2005-03-06

First of all, I would like to advice all that this wasn't just a waste of money but a HUGE! waste of time, Richard keeps talking with a pro-kurd point of view and defends iran despite it is part of the Axis of evil! And under which circumstances did he give himself the RIGHT! to make sunnis 20% though they are 32-37% according to the CIA factbook and 60%! according to the Absolute truth! [...]
A Fist in the Hornet's Nest is a book to stay away from if you want to know the truth because it expresses the opinion of a pro-kurd and an iran sympathizer! For the truth we will need a Neutral point of view!

Average customer rating:

A worms-eye view of Iraq

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad Before, During & After the War
Richard Engel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000JGWE6S

Customer Reviews:

A worms-eye view of Iraq.......2007-09-27

The author, Richard Engel, has invested many of his most productive years in learning the middle east, including the arabic languages. He was the only U.S. reporter in Baghdad when the U.S. troops invaded the city.

While the book is modest, it cuts to the heart of the problems faced by Iraqi's and others in the mid-east. His narrative is the unadorned, unvarnished account of his time in Iraq, where he is still working on assignment.

I bought the book because of seeing Richard on several CNN and ABC news programs and appearances on TV news programs where he served as a panelist. His comments always stand out because he speaks directly to the question and gives honest, if not always politically expedient, answers.

I recommend this book to any who are seriously interested in our involvement in the mid-east.

Sally Watson 7 Book Set (Sally Watson Set)

Average customer rating:

Sally Watson 7 Book Set (Sally Watson Set)

Manufacturer: Image Cascade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000GJ3IW2

Product Description

Sally Watson 7 Book Set includes: Highland Rebel, Mistress Malapert, Lark, The Hornet's Nest, Jade, Witch of the Glens, and Linnet. This collection of children's/young adult literature is necessary reading for historical fiction readers. The young heroines of these stories are strong and feisty girls who serve as excellent role models for all readers, particularly for young girls. Ms. Watson's stories and characters have helped mold the lives of thousands of young readers for over fifty years.

Average customer rating:

A great novel by a former U.S. president
Stately, panoramic view of the American Revolution in Georgia
Enjoyable learning
Flat
Hornets Nest is a Good Read

The Hornet's Nest
Jimmy Carter
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743263332

Book Description

The first work of fiction by a President of the United States -- a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence

In his ambitious and deeply rewarding novel, Jimmy Carter brings to life the Revolutionary War as it was fought in the Deep South; it is a saga that will change the way we think about the conflict. He reminds us that much of the fight for independence took place in that region and that it was a struggle of both great and small battles and of terrible brutality, with neighbor turned against neighbor, the Indians' support sought by both sides, and no quarter asked or given. The Hornet's Nest follows a cast of characters and their loved ones on both sides of this violent conflict -- including some who are based on the author's ancestors.

At the heart of the story is Ethan Pratt, who in 1766 moves with his wife, Epsey, from Philadelphia to North Carolina and then to Georgia in 1771, in the company of Quakers. On their homesteads in Georgia, Ethan and his wife form a friendship with neighbors Kindred Morris and his wife, Mavis. Through Kindred and his young Indian friend Newota, Ethan learns about the frontier and the Native American tribes who are being continually pressed farther inland by settlers. As the eight-year war develops, Ethan and Kindred find themselves in life-and-death combat with oppos- ing forces.

With its moving love story, vivid action, and the suspense of a war fought with increasing ferocity and stealth, The Hornet's Nest is historical fiction at its best, in the tradition of such major classics as The Last of the Mohicans.

Download Description

"The first work of fiction by a President of the United States -- a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence In his ambitious and deeply rewarding novel, Jimmy Carter brings to life the Revolutionary War as it was fought in the Deep South; it is a saga that will change the way we think about the conflict. He reminds us that much of the fight for independence took place in that region and that it was a struggle of both great and small battles and of terrible brutality, with neighbor turned against neighbor, the Indians' support sought by both sides, and no quarter asked or given. The Hornet's Nest follows a cast of characters and their loved ones on both sides of this violent conflict -- including some who are based on the author's ancestors. At the heart of the story is Ethan Pratt, who in 1766 moves with his wife, Epsey, from Philadelphia to North Carolina and then to Georgia in 1771, in the company of Quakers. On their homesteads in Georgia, Ethan and his wife form a friendship with neighbors Kindred Morris and his wife, Mavis. Through Kindred and his young Indian friend Newota, Ethan learns about the frontier and the Native American tribes who are being continually pressed farther inland by settlers. As the eight-year war develops, Ethan and Kindred find themselves in life-and-death combat with oppos- ing forces. With its moving love story, vivid action, and the suspense of a war fought with increasing ferocity and stealth, The Hornet's Nest is historical fiction at its best, in the tradition of such major classics as The Last of the Mohicans. "

Customer Reviews:

A great novel by a former U.S. president.......2007-08-04

Obviously the result of years of research, The Hornet's Nest provides a much-needed narrative on the unsung heroes of the revolutionary war--those men living south of the Mason-Dixon line who sacrificed their lives for the revolutionary cause. Based on the experience of former President Jimmy Carter's grandmother, this novel focuses on the war effort in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida from 1773 to 1781. "The hornet's nest" was an area of Georgia around Augusta that was held tenaciously by the rebel forces, even though the rest of Georgia and all of North Carolina and Florida had fallen to the British. I decided to read this book because I've become a fan of Mr. Carter's during his postpresidential career, but I continued to read it because it is compelling and informative. Mr. Carter does an excellent job of portraying just how grim the revolutionary cause was for most of the war, and it was refreshing to read something on the Revolutionary War in a setting other than Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Virginia

Stately, panoramic view of the American Revolution in Georgia.......2007-07-03

I bought this book mostly out of curiosity. As a British subject, I wondered what an ex-President of the USA would have to say about the Revolutionary War nearly 250 years later. In this, I was very pleasantly surprised. Mr Carter combines solid story-telling and characterisation with an utterly reliable neutrality as to the rights and wrongs of the conflict. We are invited into the lives of townspeople, craftsmen, settlers, and soldiers on both sides - "Whigs" and "Tories" as they came to be known - and each person springs to life, complete with utterly convincing beliefs, hopes, desires, and ambitions. What's more, the Native Americans come to life too: revealed not as naked, painted, warlike savages, but human beings just like ourselves, wishing only to continue with their chosen way of life. Certainly, the pace is slow - but that is inevitable if the tale is to be true to life. Whirlwind, slapdash treatments like the movie "The Patriot" are bound to give one-sided, one-dimensional accounts of what was really a classic human tragedy played out over a quarter of a century. Even the most violent of wars is intermittent - a fact that we too easily forget when we read about it later, and at a distance. Mr Carter's profound understanding of politics and military matters helps him to show, rather than tell, the complex interplay of individual motives that lead, first to discontent and repression, then to simmering violence, and finally to open war. Frankly, not everyone has the temperament or the education to read this book with enjoyment; but the more people who do so, the better. Reading "The Hornet's Nest" is like visiting a foreign country that you have read about in guidebooks, but never seen before. It fills in all the little details that the history books leave out, and as a result explains why events took place as they did. It is a substantial literary and civic contribution, and one that few Presidents - or senior politicians of any nation - could hope to rival.

Enjoyable learning.......2007-06-28

I have always proclaimed the Revolutionary War as my favorite war. Probably because it is the easiest war for me to grasp both the concepts behind it and the strategies of combat. I spent a long period of my childhood on World War II because of the dominance of aircraft, but the concepts and strategies were so much more complex that it is hard to get a big picture on the war. Carter's book about the Revolutionary War does a good job of giving the big picture to the war. I have a better understanding about what life was like during that time of war where families were always on the lookout for danger. What I found inappropriate was the passages of textbook-like descriptions meant to span periods of time. I understand the need for them but it seemed like they just popped up in the middle of a chapter or times when I didn't expect them. They may have worked better as lead ins to new chapters or books.

Flat.......2007-01-19

A very dry flat uninspiring read. When the book (infrequently) takes on a tinge of excitement, the mood is quashed by a lapse into tedious detail. Real science and history texts have held my interest better.

Hornets Nest is a Good Read.......2006-11-04

Jimmy Carter has done a great work in bringing a greater depth of understanding to a little understood time in our nation's history. I had lived and traveled in the states of Georgia, North and south Carolina during the early '80s. Carter's book brought much greater insight to what I observed during while I was in those states as well as greater insight to the events leading up to and during the revolutionary war. The beauty, brutality, and perseverance exhibited by union patriots and citizens loyal to the crown was laid out in stark detail. Well written and a good read.

Andy Brazil & Judy Hammer Series: Hornet's Nest, Southern Cross, Isle of Dogs

Average customer rating:

Andy Brazil & Judy Hammer Series: Hornet's Nest, Southern Cross, Isle of Dogs
Patricia Cornwell
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000LE5ZR8

The Hornet's Nest - A Novel Of The Revolutionary War

Average customer rating:

The Hornet's Nest - A Novel Of The Revolutionary War
Jimmy Carter
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

The Hornet's Nest
Jimmy Carter
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Hornet's Nest
Patricia Cornwell
Manufacturer: Berkley Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Similar Items:

All That Remains: A Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries)

ASIN: B000GR9IDM

Average customer rating:

Hornets' Nest (Watch It Grow)
Kate Scarborough
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A great collection of new Warhammer fantasy short stories penned by some of the Black Library's favourite authors. A terrific collection that will appeal to all lovers of dark, gritty fantasy.

Customer Reviews:

This is a book about ... you got it.. Betrayal. .......2006-04-11

Well let us begin, there are several stories... The first it's Kinstrife by Graham McNeil. This is a story which the two main characters are brothers and high elves. This is the way a betrayal should begin since in the warhammer world there wasn't a more act of betrayal than Malekith and the Druchii did to the High Elves. Well, you see a story about two brothers who are seeking vengeance for their late father who died by poison from a dark elf [...]. The story it's divide in two parts. The first it's the current time and the other it's some flashbacks from the main character Lord Eldain. I didn't expect for this kind of end... It's like a plot within a plot.. a betrayal within the betrayal.. I guess it won't hurt if I tell you. The flashbacks take you to know why they are there in druchii land . Besides that another plot starts to unfold in which we begin to realise that not everything is well between the brothers. Rhianna, to be bethroned as everyone expects to Eldain comes to close to his brother Caelir. He already loves her and she loves him too. So before they part Caelir promises himself to her. Eldain becomes aware of that by Rhianna who tells him days before they part. This we only know in the last 10 pages or so. Then the flashbacks ends and the high elves start to war the druchii making great damage to their warships and one Ark. When they are fleeing after causing so much chaos and mayhem and death Caelir is injured and Eldain stands his hand to help him but sees his ring. The ring of the marriage between his brother and Rhianna. In a act of betrayal, yes this is the main betrayal, he leaves the scene. Then the author presents a final chapter which is a flashback in which Caelir asks his brother to look after her if he dies. Well this shock me. I never thought that High Elves had such .. qualities.. It's horrific :I a dissapointed. Oh well.. There is a part when the druchii slave masters are chasing a pack of humans and the high elves could save them. Caelir and the Shadow Warriors wanted to kill the druchii but Eldain forbades him saying "They were only humans" ... " Do not trouble yourself with them." It's kind of brutal..

The second history is call Small Mercy by Richard Ford. This is a begins with with two bounty hunters arriving at a village with a norsc prisioner. They bring it to a tavern where they are going to pass the night. The patrons here the tale and a child is beddazzled by these norsc one blue eye soldier. Well the betrayal here it's kind of sad. Well the "friends" of the norcs arrive and kill all habitants excpet this boy. Later we see the same boy a captain in the mist of Storm of Chaos war. We don't see much of the fight except we know they are running away and they are rallied by a charismatic, suicidal, valiant general. Well they start running and there are several skirmishers. One time they encounter a Chaos Knight Champion and the captain try to attack the knight but falls. The chaos knight remove the helmet and voil?. Yes. The northmen. The northman smiles at him and tries to give a hand but meanwhile the general kills the chaos knight and... afterwards... they imprisoned the captain for treason. I like it but.. there's something not right... the story has only 18 pages which doesn't benefit the writer. I think he is a good writer and the plot is well employed.

The third it's from Nyck Kyme and it's called Perfect [...]. This a story about an [...] as he tries to best a unknown [...] that is threating his "kingship" as king of [...]. The last case that will decide which is a better thief it's a case that already 7 [...] died. Well this a good story. The plot it's good. And the ending is well know before he even attempt to best the last case. This story has 24 pages.

The fourth it's from the author of Brunner Triology, C L Werner and it's called Sick House. I had read a story written by CL Werner in the Swords of the Empire but not a novel. This is about another personage of him. A bounty hunter named Brunner. This story has a good concept and I like it. The writing it's complex. It's the best written story of the book. He gives a lot of time creating the plot and use adjectives abundably. I like the story but the end was for me too quickly. This is the second biggest story with 38 pages.

The fifth is In the Service of Sigmar. This story was written by Adam Troke. I am not familiar with this writer but that never stop me from reading someone's work. I like the main story and the end was forthcoming. This kind of similarites to Christian church upsets me but okay. (Btw: I am not christian. I am pagan.) I am not saying that is the writer's fault. It is the warhammer world story inself. For some actions I wish all humanity vanish. lol. The main story is about a man who wants to progress in his career and do a job where the church of sigmar tell him if he do it correctly he will be allowed into knighthood.

The sixth is Blood and Sand. Well here it is. The writer Matt Ralphs. I didn't knew him either. The plot itself reminds me of the crusaders. They went from france, england and german to strike at the infidels and convert the heathen. Very well. But... something i don't understand... Why striking so far away from home when they have within their borders reference to other gods? In tilea there is another god. In bretonnia there is another. Argh.. I don't understand... but okay.. I like the crusades in our history. I don't like the reasons but I like the wars. As I said I am pagan. The story inself it's good and the end was predicable as we seen over and over in human history in the crusaders... The crusaders didn't come to jerusalem and other lands to convert. They really didn't care about the muslins or heathens as they call it. So the writer has to read some books about the crusades i think. I like the story. But...

The Seventh is Son of the Empire. Robert Allan is the writer. The concept here of betrayal is something diferent. We are presented here with a incoming invasion of some northmen and a pristess of shallya invoked some knight to fight them. Nothing out of normality. But in the end we see why this book is about betrayal. It's not a betrayal of a friend but a soul-betrayal.. a god-betrayal i might say... I think anyone should read this story. It has a beautiful concept.

The Eighth is The Daemon's Gift. This was my least favourite story. It was hard to follow. The plot itself it's good but... there's something not catching. I didn't feel anything for the characters and they didn't give anything new to me. I hope this happens only to me.

The last one is from Mr Steven Savile's "Death's Cold Kiss". This is a good story which will further increase the great plot that begin with Inheritance. This is a story about a priest of Sigmar called Guttman that turns into a vampire.
For those who knew and have read the book from the same author Inheritance we see this same personage in the prologue when the former count of sylvania is dying in the year 1797. The the book jumps to the year of 2009. Here in this small story we see one of the following events in 1797 where the priest is followed and turned into vampire and the main story is about is two brethern trying to deal with that transformation. I loved this small story and it was my favourite after the first one Kinslayer. The writings are fluid and are of easy read. I like it a lot.
There is only one problem or situation... The priest is alive in year 1797. From that time he is bitten to the time when he is killed by Skellan and Fischer pass only one month aproximedly. But this two personages are presented in the book at 2009. There is a time gap here that is wrong.
Well apart of that the story is great.

Average customer rating:

Cold Hand of Betrayal
Marc Gascoigne
Manufacturer: GAMES WORKSHOP (ABS)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1YEDS

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books