Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)

Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)
Average customer rating:

Good book,mediocre mystery

Archaeology, academia and murder

New Entry into the Archeology type of Mystery

stiff .... and I'm not talking about the bodies

The Start of a Great Series

Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)
Dana Cameron
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Grave Consequences: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)

Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)

A Fugitive Truth: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)

More Bitter Than Death: An Emma Fielding Mystery (Emma Fielding Mysteries)

Ashes and Bones: An Emma Fielding Mystery

ASIN: 0380819546
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Book Description

Brilliant, dedicated, and driven, archaeologist Emma Fielding finds things that have been lost for hundreds of years -- and she's very, very good at it. A soon-to-be-tenured professor, she has recently unearthed evidence of a seventeenth-century coastal Maine settlement that predates Jamestown, one of the most significant archaeological finds in years. But the dead body that accompanies it has embroiled Emma and her students in a different kind of exploration. With her reputation suddenly in jeopardy -- due to the ruthless machinations of a disgruntled rival -- and a second suspicious death, heartbreakingly close to home, Emma must unearth a killer among the relics. But that means digging deep to get to dark secrets buried in the heart of the archaeological community -- which, in turn, could bury Emma Fielding.

Customer Reviews:

Good book,mediocre mystery.......2007-08-14

This book has ALMOST everything I want in a good mystery.It starts off with a great opening paragraph, always a good sign in my opinion. The characters are engaging, and there is an interesting subject to learn about in the form of the archaeology and the academic atmosphere.
What is missing is a good mystery. There is only one suspect, and the denouement is completely predictable, a real disappointment. (It didn't help that the back of the book gave away too much of what little suspense there was.) I was enjoying the other aspects of the book so much I had looked forward to something a little cleverer.
This was Dana Cameron's first book, and if she can learn to plot a better mystery, I think she'll have a good future as a mystery writer. Otherwise, perhaps she should consider a different genre?

Archaeology, academia and murder.......2003-08-20

1st book in the Emma Fielding series, featuring female archaeologist turned amateur sleuth in New England

During an archaeological dig in Maine, archaeologist and professor Em encounters a thoroughly unpleasant man. After two murders, Em finds herself trying to clear her own name by finding out who was responsible. She's also worried about the effect the case may have when her position comes up for tenure at work. An above average amateur sleuth mystery with an engaging heroine who has both good and bad points in her personality, some other well portrayed characters, a twisty but satisfying plot, and a plausible device for having the character investigating murder.

New Entry into the Archeology type of Mystery.......2002-07-27

Emma Fielding is trying to find the site of Fort Providence. The Fort is the first known English settlement in the United States, predating Jamestown by a few years. By good chance the likely site is on the property of her old friend Pauline Westbrook who gives her blessing to the dig. Shortly after arrival Emma finds a body on the beach and is threatened by a pothunter with a gun. Strangely, a senior colleague with no interest in New England archeology stops by to examine the site. Worst of all, Pauline's house burns down with her in it. She had just changed her will to benefit Emma, so now she is a suspect. There are also alot of strange things going on in the anthropology department at her college. Emma has to get to the bottom of things, hopefully without adding her own corpse to the body count.

This is a very quick moving mystery. The author takes the reader into the world and work of the archeologist. She goes into just enough detail for illustration and not so much that you are bored. The characters are very vivid and there is alot of action. It wasn't too difficult to solve the mystery, she leaves alot of clues, but it is alot of fun getting to the solution.

stiff .... and I'm not talking about the bodies.......2002-06-26

Briliant, dedicated and driving me away from this author. This book was boring and was written in such a stiff manner that I nearly cried. The reviews led me to believe that this book was entertaining and wonderfully written. I have never read a fictional book about archeologist/detectives that was this humorless and this dull.
Ms. Cameron ... I suggest that you read Elizabeth Peters (her earlier ones) or Beverly Connor (who has an anthropology/archeology twist) to see how to combine archeology and murder into an enjoyable read. It did not have to be funny but at least it should have been interesting.

The Start of a Great Series.......2002-04-26

Emma Fielding is an archaeologist trying to succeed out of the shadow of her famous archaeologist grandfather. She's returned to her childhood home to work on a site that could guarantee her receiving tenure, but her discovery of a body could destroy that chance.

Soon more deaths follow, and although the sheriff believes she's innocent the town's suspicion of her grows. Emma must also deal with a cockey student worker, another sullen student who seems to wish that he were anywhere but on the site, and that student's father who sees Emma as a rival to his position at their college.

Emma herself is a wonderful character. She's impulsive, decisive, and survives the academic politics through her sardonic sense of humor. She also has a great relationship with her husband, who happens to be Asian (yet this is refreshingly treated matter-of-factly and never made an issue). Other characters are as well entertaining and believable, including an ancient medical examiner who ironically sees Emma as a morbid invader of the dead.

Emma's struggle to retain her sense of humor as well as retain control over her career at the college, her site, and the students who work it creates a fast-paced read that also provides a fascinating glimpse of an archaeological excavation. My only disappointment with this novel was that it had to end. I look forward to the next Emma Fielding mystery, Grave Consequences.

Book Description

The dragon called Wings of Fire has awakened from his enchanted slumber. And only Merlin-the descendent of the wizard who first defeated the dragon-possesses the power to stop him.

Customer Reviews:

The Fires of Merlin was my Homework , .......2005-04-01

"The Fires of Merlin" was about the great adventures that Merlin had when he was a kid. This book was the third of five books in the Lost Years of Merlin series. This book deals with Merlin losing his power. He had to confront an evil dragon that his grandfather had put into a deep slumber. To add to all this, there were ancient bat-looking creatures that stole magic. They were supposedly extinct. There was an evil group on the island that wanted to destroy all magic. The evil group started to raise the bat-like creatures. The group and their bats were responsible for what happens to Merlin's powerful necklace. If you want to find out what happens to Merlin and if he finds his power read the book yourself.

The Fires of Merlin.......2005-03-16

"Sometimes it's easier to see someone else's dragon than your own." "The Fires of Merlin", is an exciting tale of the unforgettable Legend of Merlin. The story tells of Merlin's dangerous quests for others and confrontations to himself. He must also defeat the dragon Valdearg, who had been under a deep sleep for thousands of years, and had now suddenly awakened to cause havoc on the lands of Fincayra.
Before he can face the rampaging dragon's fire, he most face other fires, including the fires within himself. He most avoid or confront the magic-eating Kreelixes; discover the secrets of the Wheel of Wye, and take back his treasured Galator from the evil hag, Domnu. On his quest, he discovers his true magic was not in his staff but within his heart and soul. He learns this through his tragedies and the people that he meets. For example he learns that there is more magic within himself than any within his staff. To understand both sides of this problem he cannot not to judge someone for being related to one of evil doings, for even he has the blood of the once evil ruler of Fincayra, Stangmar, and Merlin's father.
This stunning work of art is an exciting fantasy about confronting yourself and discovering what you are really capable of. It shows the meaning of bravery and the meaning of the heart. The author uses descriptive words and sentences so the reader can understand and get a distinct picture in their head of a scene or speculation. In my opinion, the author really made his point to his readers and wrote from his heart. I recommend this book to all people who enjoy creative fantasies and luminous stories.

WHAT a RIDE!!!! WOW!!!! .......2005-03-01

Extraordinary ride through a magical journey with unique creatures with an imagination that nevers stops!!! Very moving and speaks to the heart!!!

Make sure to read all 5 books, you'll not be disappointed!!

amazing but not so great as "seven songs of merlin".......2003-11-24

i loved it.........but it does not compare to seven songs of merlin in any way. the dragon of fincayra's children have been killed (except for 1). now he is on a wraging rampage. the only one who can stop him is merlin. but merlin is fighting simply to keep his magic.

WOW!.......2003-08-01

Do not view these as five individual books, but as five pieces of a whole saga. To read only one would be to cheat one's self of seeing an entire picture.

The epic begins with an child with no memory being raised by a mysterious woman in a small village. Both of them are regarded as local oddities and driven to live in a convent. The boy is known as Emrys, but never feels that that is his true name. As he matures, he develops gifts and wonderous powers, along with an increasing need to know who he is. Eventually, he goes upon a quest in search of his heritage, one that will lead him to the lands his mother's stories spoke of, the Hidden World outside of time and this life. He finds himself in the midst of a battle between warring demigods, and finds a new name for his own, Merlin.

As Merlin journeys through the five books, he makes new friends and bitter enemies. This is a world filled with dragons, witches, goblins, and lost treasures. Secrets that are as powerful and painful as a two edged blade are discovered. Otherworlds are crossed, time itself bends to give the boy a glimpse of his own destiny, and choices musst be made that will affect far more than just Merlin.

***** Elements of other classics are hinted at, but applied in new ways and familiarity only serves to endear. This is a grand saga without the weightiness of other epics. Rather, it is easy to read and charming. This Merlin can stand alongside Tolkien's hobbits or Harry Potter proudly. *****

Customer Reviews:

I Loved This Book.......2002-10-09

I loved this book! Full of history, romance, and the mystical legend of Merlin made for a page turning romance.

The story between Vivian the daughter of Fire and Rorke FitzWarren knight to William Duke of Normandy is touching and has managed to become one of my favorite stories! Vivian is the daughter of Merlin and she finds herself in the middle between the Norman's and the defeated Saxon's. Rorke is sent to find the healer with amazing powers and brings Vivian back to the battlefield to take care of William. Rorke finds more then just a healer of the physical self but a healer of the heart and soul. This story takes place right after the battle of Hastings and is full of historical detail but not so much that you feel that it is a history lesson. The story is touching and I found myself laughing and crying which in my opinion is always a sign of a GREAT book! I look forward to the rest of this series to make it to my mail box!

The first is a knock out series!!!.......2002-01-29

Book 1- She is Vivian of Amesbury, the daughter of the great Merlin and possessed of the gift of second sight. Most of all, she is haunted by an ancient curse that prevents her from ever knowing love. Then, in a vision, she sees a Norman knight riding across a battlefield. He is Rorke FitzWarren ahd has come to Amesbury to find the celebrated healer whose powers could save his wounded Soverign, William of Normandy. Together they must fight the force of darkness in a search for a legendary sword.

Do not miss this one!!!

excellent read.......2001-09-07

Daughter of Fire, was a great book to read, and am currently reading Daughter of Mist, which so far is pretty good. I like reading the books of Quinn Taylor Evans, a very talented writer.

Daughter of Fire.......2001-07-28

Both my daughter and I loved this book. It keeps you spellbound. The only thing we are upset about is,you can't get the third book in the series!! This book was a real page turner.

daughter of fire.......2001-01-17

Not many love scenes can compare, I loved this book. I read nothing but arthurian ledgend and romance of the legendary time, This is about to be my second favorite. Am waiting for the rest of the set to be delivered! Most magical, try also, Guardian of The Balance By;Irene Radford; My very fav.

Fire and ice: The poetry of Xavier Villaurrutia (North Carolina studies in the Romance languages and literatures : Essays)

Average customer rating:

Fire and ice: The poetry of Xavier Villaurrutia (North Carolina studies in the Romance languages and literatures : Essays)
Merlin H Forster
Manufacturer: U.N.C. Dept. of Romance Languags : [distributed by University of North Carolina Press]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0884380114

The Lost Years of Merlin Saga, boxed set: The Lost Years of Merlin + The Seven Songs of Merlin + The Fires of Merlin + The Mirror of Merlin + The Wings of Merlin

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The Lost Years of Merlin Saga, boxed set: The Lost Years of Merlin + The Seven Songs of Merlin + The Fires of Merlin + The Mirror of Merlin + The Wings of Merlin
T. A. Barron
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000V94IIU

The Lost Years of Merlin Set by T A Barron: The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, 1 Thru 4)

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The Lost Years of Merlin Set by T A Barron: The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, 1 Thru 4)
T A Barron
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000V90NX4

Product Description

Set of 4 paperbacks by T A Barron: The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, & The Mirror of Merlin.

MERLIN'S LEGACY: Book (1) One: Daughter of Fire; Book (2) Two: Daughter of the Mist

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MERLIN'S LEGACY: Book (1) One: Daughter of Fire; Book (2) Two: Daughter of the Mist
Quinn Taylor Evans
Manufacturer: Kensington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5I6QW

The Fires of Merlin: The Lost Years of Merlin, Book Three (Unabridged)

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The Fires of Merlin: The Lost Years of Merlin, Book Three (Unabridged)
T. A. Barron
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B0001ZZ05E

Average customer rating:

Great Book
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
Kings
A Clash of Kings: good follow up
Overly complex, bloated and sluggish pacing, but still a good read

A Clash of Kings
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Pub (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)
Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)

ASIN: 1892065320

Amazon.com

How does he do it? George R.R. Martin's high fantasy weaves a spell sufficient to seduce even those who vowed never to start a doorstopper fantasy series again (the first book--A Game of Thrones--runs over 700 pages). A Clash of Kings is longer and even more grim, but Martin continues to provide compelling characters in a vividly real world.

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

Sound complicated? It is, but fine writing makes this a thoroughly satisfying stew of dark magic, complex political intrigue, and horrific bloodshed. --Nona Vero

Book Description

Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Clash of Kings

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Download Description

Here is the second volume in GEORGE R. R. MARTIN¿S magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, GEORGE R. R. MARTIN¿S stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction. A CLASH OF KINGS A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders¿Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon¿who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong violence. Strong language. Sexual situations.
Not for kids.

Previous Reading Required - Major
Must read "A Game of Thrones" before you read this one. Otherwise, you will be lost in what is going on.

Reading Level - Average
Easy to read. Never a confusing paragraph.

Rate of Development - Extremely Fast
Everything picks up from where "A Game of Thrones" left off.

The Story - Five kings clash for the throne of Westeros. Major battles are fought. Intrigue and conspiracies are afoot.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
Not much of the story can be revealed as it would be a spoiler. This book is by far more exciting and a joy to read than is predecessor. There are times you will cheer and there will be times you'll scream "Why did you just write that George R.R. Martin, GRRRRAAAAHHHHH!". This is one of those books that will shock you and also make you feel glad to be alive (to read). And if you think this book is good, wait till you read the next one.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin.......2007-09-19

A Clash of Kings is the second in the ongoing "Song of Ice and Fire" series, sequel to A Game of Thrones, and the series continues to be entertaining and interesting, one of my favorite ongoing fantasy series. What makes it different from other fantasy series is that Martin, instead of using chapter numbers and having everything be specifically chronological, has about five to ten characters whose heads you are in. So you can be immediately whisked away to another battle, another land, another family feud by the turn of the page. Plus Martin isn't afraid of killing of characters, which can be horrible if one gets really attached to certain characters, but I find it admirable that he has the bravely to do this. I think it isn't done enough in fiction, specifically fantasy. Sure the good guys need to win, but not all the time!

Near the end of A Clash of Kings there was a huge battle between two big armies: one attacking the other on a river, so starting as a naval battle, and then once the men landed on the ground moving on to trying to break into the fortress. Your regular historical or fantasy novel would have you in the head of your main character who would likely be one of the leaders of the armies. The P.O.V. might switch during the battle to the other leader's viewpoint on the other side and then come back to your main character. With Martin's literary device, the reader sees the battle unfolding from three interesting viewpoints: from the leader of the army in the fortress (who is an ugly dwarf); from one of the captains of the ships on the other side attacking the fortress, as he leads in the ship and engages the enemy (he ends up getting killed); and from a young girl who is a hostage in the fortress, under the watchful eye of the queen, in a room full of the important women who are just waiting around to find out if they are on the winning side, or if they are on the losing side and the enemy is about to break down the door and the knight will be ordered to kill them all so they won't end up as hostages. So instead of seeing the entire battle from one of possibly two P.O.V.s, the reader gets three totally different viewpoints, and it just helps to heighten the tension and suspense.

Next in the series is A Storm of Swords, with A Feast For Crows due out November 8th. As Martin was writing A Feast For Crows, passing the thousand-page mark a couple of months before the book was done, he was told by his publisher that they can't have one book be this long. He'd previously promised that his next book would not be as long as A Storm of Swords, which was 1216 pages in the mass market edition. Since he's going to long pass this, he negotiated with Random House to split the book in two. What he's decided to do, and as I get further into the series I can't understand how he's going to do this, is have half of the characters in one book, and the other half in the next book. Some of the characters can be on their own tangents, meeting different people, and not actually have anything to do with the other main character's whose heads the reader is in, but there are other main characters who interact with each other quite often, and I just don't know how Martin is going to reconcile this.

It's going to be interesting, that's for sure. And the good thing Martin said is that the new book comes out soon, and the next one is already half done.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Kings.......2007-09-11

This book was in excellent shape and a joy to read...i appreciate the quickness with which it was shipped

A Clash of Kings: good follow up.......2007-09-01

This is a good follow up to A Game of Thrones. Like many other readers, the period setting and charcterization are the strengths of this book. The point of view narration is a stand out.

I don't mind getting lost in a good book. If you're looking for loose threads to be tied up and tight plot adherence, you will be disappointed. This is not a G, PG, or PG13 fantasy epic it is R or even X rated in places. Sometimes, I found the sex and violence gratuitous. Just a caveat emptor.

I liked the characterizations. They were believable. For instance the good guys (all right, the characters I liked best) were not saint like and brilliant 100% of the time. Small side characters that seemed all right in Game show themselves be less than savory in Clash. There are some new POVs in this novel as well. The most interesting being Davos, a knight serving Stannis Baratheon. The bad guys,show that they are not static caricatures.

Plot developments were believable in that again it didn't turn on magic but mundane events.

Overly complex, bloated and sluggish pacing, but still a good read.......2007-08-19

Ok, I just finished Book 2, and I have to say I'm not quite as happy as I was with Book 1. Don't get me wrong - it's still a very entertaining read, but I'm encountering enough things that irritate me to actually speak up a bit.

(1) LEADEN PACE: Yes, I can now see what others have complained about. Book 1 moved along slowly, but Book 2 positively crawls at times.

(2) EXCESSIVE LENGTH/COMPLEXITY: The author should have put this book on a treadmill, and made it loose 250 or so pages. It's too flabby, even for someone of my laid back literary nature. The chief problem is that the author tells the tale from too many different angles at the same time, and the result is a story that's fragmentary ... and difficult to get back into if you put it down for more than a few days. Working from 8 different moving points on the same map, in simultaneous fashion, is a too fragmentary, and makes it difficult for the reader to relax into the tale. Instead, the reader is left to paddle furiously, like a poodle dropped in a swimming pool, with people shouting "over here !" from multiple different angles. It's sink or swim.

(3) EXCESSIVELY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE: I have the same complaint with movies these days ... the author seems to revel in describing sucking chest wounds, ropy intestines spilling out, and festering wounds. I'm well acquainted with the harsh realities of limited medieval medicine, but the author goes overboard at times, and there are moments when it feels like I'm watching a "splat" movie. Also, his "maester" healers seem rather under skilled, medically ... for all their supposedly great training, all the author seems capable of having them do is do simple bandages, pour boiling wine into gashes, apply leeches, and give people "milk of poppy" or "dream wine". There's a lot more to first aid, even at the medieval level, than just that.

(4) EXCESSIVE SEX: I've noticed a definite trend in both TV, SciFi and Fantasy over the past 20 years towards more and more sex. There were a few scenes in Book 1 of this series that raised my eyebrow, but not enough to carp about. This book, however, raises the bar considerably ... we see fellatio & cunnilingus, as well as repeated references to anal sex, buggery, incest, rape-murders, and even a reference to necrophilia {re: the character "Reek"}. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to name a chapter than didn't seem to have an obligatory sex scene, or sexual reference in it - and more often than not in an unsavory context. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, and these things are realities of everyday life ... but there was no warning on the cover that the book is liberally interspersed with such content. Things have come a long way from the days of Robert E. Howard's Conan, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars pulps, in which we occasionally see women clad in gossamer veils, the occasional flash of nipple, and a quick fade-out on people who begin to get it on. GRRM doesn't leave the room at all ... he just lowers the action from XXX to NC-17 (single x) in order to avoid excessive complaints. In other words, he's pushing the envelope of the genre. I don't mind mature content at all ... but I *do* mind the lack of notice on the cover. The book should be marked as such, for the convenience of prospective readers who don't want to get blindsided by such things.

(5) EXCESSIVE MORTALITY: Ya know, I've played in some role playing campaigns in which the mortality level was gratuitously high - to the point where it seemed like the GM was perhaps overcompensating for their own real life shortcomings (e.g., no career, no sex life, no control over their fate) by making everyone else's life a living hell. In the case of this book, the author seems (to me) to go overboard in setting up characters and sub-plots, and then killing everything (and everyone) off, just to keep people guessing. Some people call that being bold and taking risks with the plot, whereas I think of it as being excessively sadistic - what's the point of sitting though all GRRM's long and plodding buildup, only to have the author crumple it up and toss it in the trash and go off in a completely different direction ? Where's the intellectual and emotional payoff ? Although gripping and entertaining, I'd be hard pressed to find much in this book that's uplifting, comforting, secure, nostalgic or inspiring, because the author is constantly ripping down plots and characters and papering up new ones every other chapter ... like a frothing tyrant, setting up elaborate patterns of dominos, just so he can gleefully kick them over. There's a fine line between having enough mortality to make death and failure a constant presence in the overall story (as it is in real life), and having half the characters die horribly, from book to book. It's too much, IMHO.

(6) ERATTA: There are some things that the author just plain gets wrong. For instance, the author's distance terminology usage appears wrong. I haven't analyzed it too closely, but it seems (to me) like he uses the term "leagues" as if they were the same as kilometers. They are NOT the same. One league = 3 miles = 4.83 kilometers. If his usage of the term were correct, then it should take a *lot* longer for people to get from place to place than it seems to in his plot. The author, however, doesn't seem to have the patience to support that sort of slow travel pace however, so he just seems to ignore the consequences of his improper use of terminology.

(7) CULINARY SHORTCOMINGS: I enjoy writers who take their food seriously (big props to GRRM for that), but it bothers me when people make mistakes. For instance - people going on multi-week trips over rough terrain, on foot or horse, don't typically lug lots of raw eggs with them for breakfast ... they're fragile, they're heavy (mostly water), and they easily spoil. Rib bones don't have soft edible marrow ... only the bones of extremities have soft marrow that's suck able. I'd also complain about blueberries (early summer), mint (late summer & early fall), and grapes (fall) not being in season at the same time, but since the seasons in the author's world span multiples of years, I think we can let that one slide. However, if the main continent of the seven kingdoms is truly a thousand leagues long, then Dorne and The Wall should be in different hemispheres, and the growing seasons should be reversed ... however, the plot seems to imply that the entire continent is in the same hemisphere, with much the same growing season. Perhaps there's something that the author is not telling us, and that perhaps their world is 10x the diameter of Earth (and spins faster on it's axis to make up for it). Still, I find it hard to believe that they can enjoy fresh oranges way up north, at The Wall. Based on the distances involved, the author should have (instead) featured pickled lemons, instead of fresh citrus. Also, there's not enough regional variations in the cuisine depicted. We don't see much dothraki cuisine except for mares milk and horse meat, and over in the seven kingdoms, and cuisine in the north seems to differ from the south only in that the south is more wealthy, and that fruit is a bit more prevalent. The only time the author mentions spices is in spiced wine, and the only seasoning in his food is salt and pepper. For the amount of word count that the author devotes to food, he could do better, with regards to regional diversity of cuisine.

Bottom line: I'm still very much enjoying this series, but there's room for improvement.

First 4 Titles in Lost Years of Merlin Series - 1. The Lost Years of Merlin 2. The Seven Songs of Merlin 3. The Fires of Merlin 4. The Mirror of Merlin

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First 4 Titles in Lost Years of Merlin Series - 1. The Lost Years of Merlin 2. The Seven Songs of Merlin 3. The Fires of Merlin 4. The Mirror of Merlin
T. A. Barron
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000QFOFKA

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A guide to fire by prescription
Merlin J Dixon
Manufacturer: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Region
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007FBMUA

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