Book Description
Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when Judge Cummings-Browne not only snubs her entry-but falls over dead! After her quiche's secret ingredient turns out to be poison, she must reveal the unsavory truth...Agatha has never baked a thing in her life! In fact, she bought her entry ready-made from an upper crust London quicherie. Grating on the nerves of several Carsely residents, she is soon receiving sinister notes. Has her cheating and meddling landed her in hot water, or are the threats related to the suspicious death? It may mean the difference between egg on her face and a coroner's tag on her toe...
Customer Reviews:
An Incomer from London Breaks a Few Eggs with Her Store-Bought Quiche.......2007-05-24
As a devoted fan of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, I was intrigued to keep reading reviews of Hamish Macbeth books by people who claimed they liked the Agatha Raisin series better. But every time I contemplated the title, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, it just seemed too tongue in cheek to be possibly any good. Well, I was wrong. Although the book couldn't be any more satirical and much punnier than it is, the book works very well both as a straight story and as a satire. It's like getting two books for the price of one.
Since the Hamish Macbeth series started first, let me address Hamish Macbeth fans first: Think of Agatha Raisin as being one of the optimistic incomers to Lochdubh who hope for peace and tranquility without realizing what village life in Sutherland is really like. But Agatha has mostly good intentions (except towards the women in the area who drive her batty) instead of being an incipient homicidal maniac like the incomers in Sutherland. Agatha is also her own woman, and not about to take any prisoners she doesn't have to. Like Hamish, she has a crime-solving partner, Bill Wong (of the local detectives), who helps her in ways she doesn't always appreciate (like Priscilla Halburton-Smythe does for Hamish). Agatha is based, however, in the gentle Cotswolds so there won't be too many stories about brutal winter blizzards in this series. You won't miss hearing about Strathbane.
In this inaugural book, Agatha has just sold her PR firm in London (where she succeeded by being a blunt instrument in plying journalists with meals and drink and then shaking them down for stories) and decided to retire to a cottage in the Cotswolds, an area she had once visited as a child. Naturally, she has a romanticized view of what life there will be like. Having been a busy businesswoman, she now finds herself not quite sure how to fill her time. Although she had made no friends in London, she expects to make many in rural Carsely. People nod and are friendly, but it goes no further. Agatha soon makes an enemy of her next door neighbor by stealing her housekeeper. While catching up on her reading of Agatha Christie mysteries, Agatha decides she needs to get everyone's attention. Why not win a prize for baking?
Plotting her strategy, Agatha invites the quiche competition judge, Reginald Cummings-Browne, and his wife, Vera, to an expensive dinner (expecting to curry favor as it were in the quiche wars). Agatha instead ends up with a very large bill and a not very high opinion of the Cummings-Brownes. Agatha makes a quick foray to London to buy a wonderful spinach quiche that she enters as her own.
But her plot is soon foiled when the woman who always wins the quiche competition once again triumphs. Agatha leaves her quiche behind in disgust, and Vera Cummings-Browne takes it home as a snack for her husband. That night, he eats the quiche and dies of poison! Naturally, there's a police investigation and Agatha has to confess that she cheated.
Feeling like she will never make it in Carsely after such a large faux pas, Agatha begins to think she should move out and go back to London. Soon, she's between two islands of discord and not sure what to do.
The police decide that the poisoning was an accidental death, but Agatha's not so sure. Before long, she starts acting on her urge to detect . . . with consequences that definitely heat up the story.
Where most detective stories are mostly about a crime and the process of uncovering the criminal, that element retreats into the background in this book. Instead, Agatha's search for happiness is the main focus of the story. The crime and its solution are merely incidents along the way. I liked that element. In fact, this would have been a very entertaining story even if it hadn't contained a mystery.
Any time your attention threatens to flag, you can just sit there and chuckle over the outrageous satirical elements. Although you know they are overdone, you can't help but laugh . . . as you might at good burlesque sketches with imaginative pie throwing.
Although I haven't read past this book in the Agatha Raisin series, I would have to say that Agatha could displace Hamish as number one in my affections for M. C. Beaton characters.
Enjoy!
British asocial Jessica Fletcher type............2006-11-11
...And great fun to read! Agatha first comes across as hard to take, but pretty soon we begin to appreciate her vulnerability. Set in the Cotswold villages of Britain, Agatha's adventures are closely tied in with her inability to safely navigate normal social life amongst the village. The supporting cast is wonderfully diverse, and the humor that is liberally sprinkled throughout Agatha's observations and experiences kept me thoroughly entertained chapter to chapter. I don't much care for series, but look forward to reading more in this one. I appreciated that it was PG rated, and that the main emphasis was on characterization and solving the mystery. No blood and guts.
Agatha Raisin is so fun!.......2006-08-26
This is the very first Agatha Raisin book. In it we meet Agatha, retired early from the London PR firm she owned, and ran with an iron hand. Agatha grew up in the Birmingham slums, and dreamed that one day she would live in a Cotswold village and no one would ever know she had been poor. In order to escape the slums, she learned to be tough and hard-headed, and never had a friend in her life. Now she wants to be someone important in her new hometown. She has never cooked or baked, or planted a garden, but has learned through hard experience how to get by: with ingenuity and a little cheating. When the judge of a local baking contest dies after eating the quiche she submitted, the truth comes out: she bought the quiche in London. Now she must deal with utter humiliation and try to clear her name, and in the process she begins to thaw out and make friends for the first time in her life. What a great book!
Accident my foot.......2006-08-13
Advertising mogul Agatha Raisin always wanted to retire in the classic English village and turn domestic. When she gets her chance she also wants to be popular with the locals. To this end she enters a spinach quiche (store bought) in the local contest. She even butters up the judge by taking him and his wife out to eat.
Needles to say her quiche is snubbed and the standard winner gets the prize. To compound matters the judge eats more that night and expires. Now everyone will know she cheated. The local police chalk the death up to an accident as cowbane a weedy poison somehow got mixed up in the spinach. They invite Agatha to keep out of it. Of course Agatha will not let sleeping dos lie and whit the help of her city friends puts her nose and foot into it.
This is a good little mystery that takes place in contemporary times not some old 30's or 40's setting. The mystery is formula with the standard suspects, sub plots, a few read herrings, and funny now and then.
Never Cheat with a Quiche!.......2006-05-18
Agatha Raisin, a sharp-tongued middle aged woman, debuts in this cozy set in the Cotswolds of England. Agatha, tired of London and the publicity business, sells out and buys a cottage in the village of Carsely. Wanting desperately to fit in, she enters a baking contest in the village, but resorts to cheating when she enters a store bought quiche instead of her own. When the judge of the contest dies from eating the quiche, all fingers point to Agatha and she must admit to all that she cheated.
All the while, Agatha becomes more and more curious about the poison found in the murder victim, and wanting to clear her name, Agatha sets out to find the real killer. Helping her (when everyone else shuns her) are Mrs. Bloxsby, the vicar's wife, and Detective Bill Wong. Future love-interest, James Lacey, is also introduced in this hilarious romp of a mystery.
M.C. Beaton is also the author of the much-loved Hamish McBeth mystery series, and shows her sense of humor in this series. Agatha's antics are legendary, and at times, I laughed out loud at some of the silly things that she does. Agatha's low self-esteem (hidden under a rough, blustery exterior) makes you root for her even when she pushes everyone away. I especially like the scenes in which Agatha tries to make herself appear younger (wearing tons of make-up that runs, high-heeled shoes for a walk, etc.) because she becomes much more human and lovable to the reader. If you have not read this series and you like cozy mysteries, ask yourself what you are waiting for, and get all of the books in the series! Then curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy!
Average customer rating:
- Agatha Raisin Breaks a Few Eggs with Her Store-Bought Quiche
- A cozy with a just a bit of bite
- Introducing Agatha Raisin
- Books
- Agatha still the tops
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Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0312081537 |
Book Description
"The irascible but endearing personality of Agatha Raisin is like a heady dash of curry. May we have another serving, please?"
DETROIT FREE PRESS
Agatha has moved to a picture-book English village and wants to get in the swing. So she buys herself a quiche for the village quiche-making contest and is more than alarmed when it kills a judge. Hot on the trail of the poisoner, Agatha is fearless, all the while unaware, that she's become the next victim....
Customer Reviews:
Agatha Raisin Breaks a Few Eggs with Her Store-Bought Quiche.......2007-05-24
As a devoted fan of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, I was intrigued to keep reading reviews of Hamish Macbeth books by people who claimed they liked the Agatha Raisin series better. But every time I contemplated the title, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, it just seemed too tongue in cheek to be possibly any good. Well, I was wrong. Although the book couldn't be any more satirical and much punnier than it is, the book works very well both as a straight story and as a satire. It's like getting two books for the price of one.
Since the Hamish Macbeth series started first, let me address Hamish Macbeth fans first: Think of Agatha Raisin as being one of the optimistic incomers to Lochdubh who hope for peace and tranquility without realizing what village life in Sutherland is really like. But Agatha has mostly good intentions (except towards the women in the area who drive her batty) instead of being an incipient homicidal maniac like the incomers in Sutherland. Agatha is also her own woman, and not about to take any prisoners she doesn't have to. Like Hamish, she has a crime-solving partner, Bill Wong (of the local detectives), who helps her in ways she doesn't always appreciate (like Priscilla Halburton-Smythe does for Hamish). Agatha is based, however, in the gentle Cotswolds so there won't be too many stories about brutal winter blizzards in this series. You won't miss hearing about Strathbane.
In this inaugural book, Agatha has just sold her PR firm in London (where she succeeded by being a blunt instrument in plying journalists with meals and drink and then shaking them down for stories) and decided to retire to a cottage in the Cotswolds, an area she had once visited as a child. Naturally, she has a romanticized view of what life there will be like. Having been a busy businesswoman, she now finds herself not quite sure how to fill her time. Although she had made no friends in London, she expects to make many in rural Carsely. People nod and are friendly, but it goes no further. Agatha soon makes an enemy of her next door neighbor by stealing her housekeeper. While catching up on her reading of Agatha Christie mysteries, Agatha decides she needs to get everyone's attention. Why not win a prize for baking?
Plotting her strategy, Agatha invites the quiche competition judge, Reginald Cummings-Browne, and his wife, Vera, to an expensive dinner (expecting to curry favor as it were in the quiche wars). Agatha instead ends up with a very large bill and a not very high opinion of the Cummings-Brownes. Agatha makes a quick foray to London to buy a wonderful spinach quiche that she enters as her own.
But her plot is soon foiled when the woman who always wins the quiche competition once again triumphs. Agatha leaves her quiche behind in disgust, and Vera Cummings-Browne takes it home as a snack for her husband. That night, he eats the quiche and dies of poison! Naturally, there's a police investigation and Agatha has to confess that she cheated.
Feeling like she will never make it in Carsely after such a large faux pas, Agatha begins to think she should move out and go back to London. Soon, she's between two islands of discord and not sure what to do.
The police decide that the poisoning was an accidental death, but Agatha's not so sure. Before long, she starts acting on her urge to detect . . . with consequences that definitely heat up the story.
Where most detective stories are mostly about a crime and the process of uncovering the criminal, that element retreats into the background in this book. Instead, Agatha's search for happiness is the main focus of the story. The crime and its solution are merely incidents along the way. I liked that element. In fact, this would have been a very entertaining story even if it hadn't contained a mystery.
Any time your attention threatens to flag, you can just sit there and chuckle over the outrageous satirical elements. Although you know they are overdone, you can't help but laugh . . . as you might at good burlesque sketches with imaginative pie throwing.
Although I haven't read past this book in the Agatha Raisin series, I would have to say that Agatha could displace Hamish as number one in my affections for M. C. Beaton characters.
Enjoy!
A cozy with a just a bit of bite.......2006-03-23
I love English mysteries, mostly because they center on personality--and Agatha Raisin has tons of personality. This first book in the series, set in the modern hills of England, introduces you to Agatha and many recurring characers. There are references to sex and all of the gore happens off stage. As a mystery, there are many better but you have an even chance of guessing the killer(s). Red herrings abound, but the point is not the mystery but the slightly (let's be honest) silly story. The village itself is a character, and has more than a few living in it. (I particularly love to hate the Boggles.) The book is quick, fun read. I keep waiting for the vicar's wife to be less a saint, and love the various sinners -- and enjoy how Agatha keeps getting herself in fixes that arise from her little weaknesses. This is not a book to analyze,just to enjoy. You'll wish you were in the Cotswolds, in the rain or at the Village fair. Have a great time!
Introducing Agatha Raisin.......2006-02-14
Agatha Raisin has clawed her way to the top of the PR field. She has escaped her terrible childhood, discarded a useless husband and built her firm from scratch and now has decided to enjoy the rewards of all her years of hard work. One of her few happy childhood memories is of time spent in a village in the Cotswolds so now that she had the time and the money at her disposal Agatha has determined to retire there. She has purchased a cottage in a quiet village well off the tourist route, had it suitably furnished, sold both her firm and her flat and now if off to enjoy her new life - she was bored within a week.
Agatha had never had the time (or inclination) to develop either hobbies of friends and now didn't know how. The villagers were either only superfically friendly or out to take advantage of her, or ever outright hostile towards her. Agatha decided to take on the village the same way she had the business world years before, she decided to go right for the top, in this case entering the local cooking contest by making a quiche. The mere fact that she did not know how to cook was a minor problem but one Agatha felt she could deal with. Soon Agatha found herself with larger problems to cope with when the contest judge died apparently from eating her entry! The resulting investigation revealed many village scandals both old and new and left Agatha longing to return to the peace and quiet of London.
This is the first of the 'Agatha Raisin' series from author M. C. Beaton of 'Hamish Macbeth' fame. Both series are set in small British villages, involve the lives (and secrets) of the locals and feature an outsider/loner as the detective there the similarities end. Where Hamish Macbeth is a very likeable, quiet rather unambitious young man Agatha is a pushy, rather disagreeable middleaged woman. Still, like with Macbeth, Beaton manages to turn her detective and those around her, into people the reader comes to care about. The mystery is clearly, and fairly laid out with plenty of twists and turns to keep he reader guessing. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the series.
Books.......2006-01-16
They were excellent.
Agatha still the tops.......2005-10-25
This is the first of Agatha's adventures and still the one that I can bring to mind and enjoy a chuckle. I often go back an re-read it. Highly recommended for curling up with in front of a fire on a wintry day.
Product Description
6 Compact Discs, Unabridged
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Average customer rating:
- Never Cheat with a Killer Quiche!
|
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
Manufacturer: CONSTABLE & ROBINSON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GM4LXO |
Customer Reviews:
Never Cheat with a Killer Quiche!.......2006-07-25
Agatha Raisin, a sharp-tongued middle aged woman, debuts in this cozy set in the Cotswolds of England. Agatha, tired of London and the publicity business, sells out and buys a cottage in the village of Carsely. Wanting desperately to fit in, she enters a baking contest in the village, but resorts to cheating when she enters a store bought quiche instead of her own. When the judge of the contest dies from eating the quiche, all fingers point to Agatha and she must admit to everyone that she cheated. All the while, Agatha becomes more and more curious about the poison found in the murder victim, and wanting to clear her name, Agatha sets out to find the real killer. Helping her (when everyone else shuns her) are Mrs. Bloxsby, the vicar's wife, and Detective Bill Wong. Future love-interest, James Lacey, is also introduced in this hilarious romp of a mystery.
M.C. Beaton is also the author of the much-loved Hamish McBeth mystery series, and shows her sense of humor in this series. Agatha's antics are legendary, and at times, I laughed out loud at some of the silly things that she does. Agatha's low self-esteem (hidden under a rough, blustery exterior) makes you root for her even when she pushes everyone away. I especially like the scenes in which Agatha tries to make herself appear younger (wearing tons of make-up that runs, high-heeled shoes for a walk, etc.) because she becomes much more human and lovable to the reader. If you have not read this series and you like cozy mysteries, ask yourself what you are waiting for, and get all of the books in the series! Then curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy!
Average customer rating:
- Not your usual run of swords and sorcery book
- Not Weber's Best, but Still Good
- Good, But Not Excellent
- The Cover
- Another HIT!!
|
Wind Rider's Oath (The Bahzell)
David Weber
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Weber, David | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
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The War God's Own
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Oath of Swords
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We Few (Prince Rogers)
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Crown Of Slaves (Weber, David)
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At All Costs (The Honor Harrington)
ASIN: 1416508953 |
Book Description
In The War God's Own, Bahzell had managed to stop a war by convincing Baron Tellian, leader of the Sothoii, to "surrender" to him, the War God's champion. Now, he has journeyed to the Sothoii Wind Plain to oversee the parole he granted to Tellian and his men, to represent the Order of Tomanak, the War God, and to be an ambassador for the hradani. What's more, the flying coursers of the Sothoii have accepted Bahzell as a wind rider-the first hradani wind rider in history. And since the wind riders are the elite of the elite among the Sothoii, Bahzell's ascension is as likely to stir resentment as respect. That combination of duties would have been enough to keep anyone busy-even a warrior prince like Bahzell-but additional complications are bubbling under the surface. The goddess Shigu, the Queen of Hell, is sowing dissension among the war maids of the Sothoii. The supporters of the deposed Sothoii noble who started the war are plotting to murder their new leige lord and frame Bahzell for the deed. Of course, those problems are all in a day's work for a champion of the War God. But what is Bahzell going to do about the fact that Baron Tellian's daughter, and heir to the realm, seems to be thinking that he is the only man-or hradani-for her?
Customer Reviews:
Not your usual run of swords and sorcery book.......2006-08-26
Most of David Weber's work is military SF, but he has branched out into the swords and sorcery genre with his three books about Bahzell Bahnakson. I don't usually have much time for "Conan" style books even when they're written by authors of the calibre of Roland Green or Harry Turtledove, but these three - Oath of Swords, The War God's own, and Wind-rider's Oath - are something else.
Some of the particular strengths of this series are things which are carried over from Weber's other work - good use of humour, brave but believable heroes and heroines, characters who have to overcome their own prejudices and mostly do so.
One thing which I appreciate about David Weber as an author is that he does not find it necessary to insert a gratuitous love story into every book, even in this genre. Not that his characters are sexless or incapable of love, and there are hints of interplay between characters which may - or may not - develop into romances later in the series, but Weber's characters fall in love when it fits the bigger story canvass and not for the sake of including a romance in every volume in some formulaic pattern.
Perhaps the best feature of the book is that it is not entirely predictable and first impressions are not always right. For example, when one of the central characters meets someone who initially appears to be a bigoted blockhead, there is a roughly 25% chance that he or she really will turn out to be a hopeless case or a bad guy, and a 75% chance that he or she will actually be an honest person who is at least sometimes capable of doing the right thing. Equally some of those who appear at first to be good guys (or girls) turn out to be in the wrong, or even working for the dark Gods.
The storyline is strong, if a little complicated. It is much easier to keep track of what is going on if you had previously read the first two books in the series. One interesting feature is that, during a pause in the middle of the book, Bahzell's patron God gives him an explanation of how free will and destiny could both exist: it is a take on the "many worlds" thesis which I had not previously encountered and for me it was worth reading this book just for that passage.
There are some irritating minor issues in the presentation of the book. It contains two maps, but both of them fail to show most of the main locations in this book. There is a list of mortal characters at the front of the book and a list of Gods (good and evil) at the back. The three most important characters in the book are not included, which is not really a problem, but also excluded from the list are one or two characters from previous books who are repeatedly referred to and I found this rather annoying. In one scene two of the characters discuss someone called Wencit of Rum, and after trying and failing to remember who he is I looked at the index of characters: no mention. Eventually to make sense of the conversation I had to dig up the previous books in the series to remind myself who Wencit is (he is approximately the equivalent of Gandalf or Belgarath).
When I originally wrote this review I said that the point of the cover art, showing the concluding scene of the book, appeared to have been diminished by the unfortunate placement of a bubble with the words "New York Times best seller" which I suspected hid the object which Kaeritha has just thrown in Bahzell's direction. In subsequent printings the offending words have been removed and the item is indeed now visible.
Bottom line: if you liked any of David Weber's other books, read the three Bahzell Bahnakson books and it is unlikely that you will be disappointed. If you like the swords and sorcery genre generally, it is also likely that you will like these three. But if you do read any of these, make sure to read them in the right order, which is Oath of Swords, The War God's own, and Wind-rider's Oath.
Not Weber's Best, but Still Good.......2006-07-19
I was a bit worried when I opened this book. It had been years since I read the first two in the series, and I didn't have them with me. But the story drew me right in, refreshing my memory of the characters and the world without getting bogged down in summarizing the earlier books.
David Weber does a lot of things well. His battles have a powerful, epic feel, and the action in this book pulls you right along.
At the same time, there's a distinction between being larger than life, and being a bit flat as a character. I don't just mean Bahzell here. All of the heroes are too heroic. Weber spends a great deal of time building up the animosity between the Sothoii and the Hradani, but pretty much ever one of the Sothoii go through the same pattern of initially hating Bahzell, then seeing the error of their ways and humbly apologizing, after which Bahzell so nobly offers his understanding. It's nice that all of the good guys are oh so enlightened, but it started to strain the seams of credibility.
Likewise, the nastiness of the villains started to go a bit overboard when they all started giving off a poisonous, vile green glow.
My last nitpick is that things happen a bit too easily for the champions, at times. Not only are they all marvelous warriors (which makes sense, as they're champions of a war god), but if they're ever in over their heads, the god Tomanak pops in to help them out. They're stronger than their enemies, and Bahzell's god is stronger than everyone else's. Even the green glow of kryptonite--I mean, of evil--isn't enough to defeat these superheroes. They get tired and exhausted, pushing themselves to the brink, but there's rarely a sense that they're in genuine danger.
I admit it: I'm a picky reader, and I have a hard time ignoring flaws like these in a book. In this case, the strengths of the story were more than enough to pull me through. More than anything, Bahzell and his companions are fun. They believe in justice and good and all that noble stuff, but they also have a sense of humor. Even the war god jokes around with his champions sometimes. And while I prefer my stories and characters a bit more complex, there's also something to be said for a good old clash of good vs. evil.
I would definitely recommend starting with the first two books, which I think are stronger. But I don't regret buying this one, either.
Good, But Not Excellent.......2006-07-07
The first of this series I had the pleasure to read was the middle volume, THE WAR GOD'S OWN. I found it to be well written and interesting and different enough from the run of the mill product to be really of note. After that, I read the first volume and now I have just finished the third. It too is well written but does not have the excitement or the humor of the second. It is about on par with the first volume. This may be disappointing but it should not be. Everything cannot be a masterpiece and even Weber's lesser works are VERY well done.
In this installment, our Hradani champion is called upon to go to the Sothoii Kingdom, the hereditary enemies of his own people. He is called upon to foil yet another plot the a coterie of the gods of darkness and this time it will be more difficult because they are working under false colors. It is also more difficult because the political situation with regard to his race as well as that of his allies is highly complex. The Sothoii love the Coursers and both hate the Hradani. That makes it difficult when the Champion come to save your people is a hated hradani and it gets weirder when the champion gets bonded with a courser. It also makes for a few smiles.
Its not his best work but it is enjoyable.
The Cover.......2006-01-25
I liked the book. But, of the three books, this is the weakest. Still, I hope that the story continues...
But... The cover! Don't artists know that a SIGNIFICANT part of the story needs to be depicted? Not this one. The cover depicts a scene that happens after the end of the story. The closing paragraph. I really hated that. Perhaps the artist only read the first and last chapter before deciding what to paint, and couldn't come up with anything better.
Another HIT!!.......2005-09-30
David Weber has completely captured my attention with the Bahzell series. This is the third book in the series and I just wish he would write them faster.
Bazell is a hradani (very tall human like with fox ears, unhuman endurance and 'the rage'). Weber has more fantasy in this series than in some of his others but once again, his writing is excellent. He drags you into a world where the Gods sometime interact thru their 'champions'. The War God has chosen Bazell as one of his champions and sets him tasks to help all of the hradani people. It's easy to find yourself in this world and only wake up when the novel is done. The characters are well thought out and in-depth - after reading the first two books, I was looking forward to the reaction some of the characters would show...
I don't want to recap the plot since it's above in the synopsis but if you like fantasy and enjoy well written novels, the Bahzell series is fun and full of life.
Book Description
Ten consecutive thousand-mile days on two wheels in a mental race against imponderable odds and a ceaselessly ticking clock--welcome to the legendary Iron Butt Rally. Against the Wind is a riveting new book, written by sixth-place 1995 finisher Ron Ayres, telling the story of what many call the most grueling test of human endurance in all of motorcycling. With guts and shear willpower, riders must overcome (or succumb to) fatigue and danger, calling upon human reserves buried deep within. Ayres reveals the innermost thoughts of a successful contestant and lets us share the anticipation, the thrill, the fatigue, the heartbreak, the euphoria, and ultimately the controversy of completing this merciless trial. More than the mere mechanics of making it through the eleven-day ordeal, Ayres describes the elegant strategy necessary to be a contender. You'll discover what motivates the riders, how the rally is scored, what takes place each day, how the routes are planned, and what it's like to ride to the very limit of endurance--and then ride some more.As engaging as Ayres own story is, you'll also be fascinated by the experiences of other riders who are attracted to such events. Motorcycle journalist Bob Higdon states in his foreword to the book, "Here, told from the point of view of a participant, the unraveling of human souls proceeds in almost embarrassing clarity." It's an incredible journey most of us would rather enjoy from our easy chair, and now we can with this first-rate book.
Customer Reviews:
The real flavor of the Iron Butt Crew.......2006-11-06
If you ever wanted to try the IBR..... THIS IS THE BOOK... You might change your mind... I know I did. I love to ride... and do it every day... but now I know the IBR is not for me... except for check points perhaps.
This is a REALLY GOOD READ. Get it just to vicariously live the story of these crazy people.
Mind travel.......2006-03-17
The book is the report of a real trip.
One can actually travel along the writer whilst he tells the story of "his" Iron Butt.
I read it three times in a row since I wanted to grasp as much detaiils as possible. The book is also slightly informative for the mile-bugged biker, although "Going the extra mile" is THE source for long distance riding.
Cool book.......2005-10-22
I know (and ride with) a couple of IBR guys and this book reads like a whos who of IBR participants. Great book.
Great Adventure Riding Book.......2003-02-08
Having ridden three Iron Butt rallies myself, I find that this is THE BOOK to describe this unique sport to others. It gives the reader an insight into the challenge of the ride. Short of riding in the Iron Butt, this is your best chance to understand what riders go through competing in this rally.
Impatient Insomniacs On Parade.......2002-09-03
Eight iron butts sat in folding metal chairs at the Midland fairgrounds rally in July, explaining comfort strategies. Just listening to them made my rear sore. How else to explain the anguish le derriere must tolerate to compress 10K miles in 11 days worth of Iron Butt Rally-ism?
Against the Wind author Ron Ayres, who etched an entry in the Guinness Book for most miles ridden in X days (at the tender age of 55 no less) and who led the panel of IBR contestants, acted as though he had seen God and lived to tell the tale. Yet he was short winded on endurance riding tactics.
Others dispensed these pearls of wisdom: get comfy; sing in helmet; play math games; run around bike at gas ups; stand on pegs, stick face in wind; dream of next steak; suck fireballs.
Held on every odd year, the IBR ought to be classified as an extreme sport. This race makes ESPN's X-Games look like Bambi Goes Hollywood. These crazies crisscross the U.S.A. twice, collecting points by hanging a pink towel at designated side road attractions, taking a Polaroid for proof, catching a catnap on the auxiliary tank before remounting again at 3:23 a.m.
The insomniac who can ride 1,000 miles per day on maximum sleep deprivation and minimal state trooper interference, boldly avoiding bodily harm while hallucinating at 100 mpg, wins a $13 trophy.
Nearly half the field drops out. Dehydration is common; misjudgments more so. Yet the thrill of completing the world's toughest endurance race is said to change one's life permanently, providing one still has a life to change.
As a read, Against the Wind is a page-turning adventure that constantly begs the question, "how?" Evidently there are vast reserves of kidney juice in storage waiting for just such a feat.
In 1995, the rally year Ayres' book documents, of the top 10 finishers from a pack of 55 entrants, half rode upon the esteemed BMW K1100, if not the R1100. The winner? A 46-year-old financial advisor from Salt Lake City astride a '94 K1100LT.
In these pages considerable time is spent relating individual trials and errors, such as when somebody failed to use his side stand, or when another forgot to remove his sunglasses when applying eye drops.
Just reading this grueling account caused me to oversleep and run late for work.
Customer Reviews:
Info..........2005-09-15
[...] Im quite confused because there are about 4 different types of this series and I have ended up with three of them, and am seriously confused about the age differences in all of them. In the Windrider version, in no.15, the handsome stranger, it says she is 17, but in the newest version, the tynale one, she is still twelve in the same book that she is supposedly twenty in another version... Please tell email me with any info... I can find none... and let me know what you know! Thanks for your help! (and sorry that this review is probably not useful for anyone). Though if you want help, I know all about the newest series!
Customer Reviews:
Book #2 in Trilogy.......2007-08-15
Book #1 is Tears Like Rain
Book #3 is Sierra
I enjoyed this western.
Wind Rider was raised by the Indians and becomes a liason between white people and Indian people.
Hannah, from Ireland is an indentured servant, and is the female lead. Her role is heartwarming and sad.
This was a good series.
this book just makes you wanna CRY!.......2006-02-24
This book is so deep and well written it almost brang me to tears. It felt as though I was going through the motion with Wind Rider and Hannah it felt like you were there with them, THE PART THAT TORE AT ME was Wind Rider losing his sight and him being captured and beaten and chain, when a book gives you goose bumps you know its good and the love scenes wonderful as always from Connie Mason...
Its worth the read in the series you wont be disappointed and trust me the emotions that you will feel reading this book from start to finish will bring you almost to tears some good tears some bad of course if you are an emotional person....
..........................JUST WONDERFUL.....................
Wonderful sequel to 'Tears Like the Rain'..........2000-09-21
This is the 2nd book in the trilogy 'Trails West'. The first being 'Tears Like the Rain' and the 3rd being 'Sierra'. This, 'Wind Rider', is the powerful love story between Windrider and Hannah McLin. Hannah is an indentured servant to an abusive man. She escapes him only to run into a Cheyenne warrior named Windrider. She saves his life from certain death in exchange for being set free, but Fate steps in and she is his prisoner. Windrider is a white Indian, brought to the Cheyenne when he was little with his sister Abby (Tears Like the Rain). They were raised like Cheyenne and given names like the Cheyenne. He soon falls in love with Hannah, but so much turbulance is happening during this time period (1864), and the Cheyenne and Sioux are rallying to fight the whites from settling the frontier. They are soon torn apart and thrust into worlds they are unfamilar with. It's a wonderful story of courage and love and brought tears to my eyes many times. Windrider is also known as Ryder Larson, a white indian living amongst the Cheyenne as a Cheyenne Warrior who had rivaled the most feirce of the warriors. Connie Mason never disapoints and brings to life a great story. It's definately worth a read.
Books:
- The Right Attitude to Rain: The Sunday Philosophy Club (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
- The Shaman's Bones (Shaman Mysteries)
- The Shaman's Handbook (d20 System) (Master Classes)
- The Sugar House: A Tess Monaghan Mystery
- The Thin Woman
- The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
- Three Complete Novels (The Servants of Twilight / Darkfall / Phantoms)
- To Collar a Killer
- Top Of The Heap (Hard Case Crime)
- Wicked Fix: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery (Mainely Murder, The)
Books Index
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