Excellent

I simply cannot heap enough praise on this book. I must have recommended it to dozens of people over the years, and all of them came back begging for more of the same. When it comes to mystery stories that'll give you goosebumps all over even at the height of summer Wilkie Collins is second to none.<br /><br />It's expertly written, with different characters as narrators for each chapter, and Collins is a master at creating suspense. Enjoy!

My but this was boring!

You can actually skip most of this book without missing anything too important. King has already long since explained exactly what happens to Susan at the end, just in case you didnt pick up on it he helpfully spells it out yet again in this tale so youre really just waiting for it to happen.<br /><br />The flashback which takes up most of the book focuses intently on young Rolands boring romance with Susan Delgado whos place as village beauty is so unquestioned as to make her virtually a cipher. <br /><br />It would help to flesh the characters out if any of the 1000's of words King uses to describe their relationships tedious encounters explained in any way why they liked eachother so much."If you love me then love me!" No, not this time? Oh well, maybe a few dozen more pages mithering over it and arranging how to set up another meeting by hanging towels out of windows and passing notes around through intermediaries will do it, and why dont we just make the readers endure every single event.<br /><br />Susan is young and blonde and beautiful, Roland is handsome and brooding and... have you fallen asleep yet? I almost did - to be fair King does capture the vain single mindedness of teenage love quite well. Its just a shame he doesnt recognise that the heights of obsession teenage romance displays is every bit as tedious for onlookers as it is overwhelming for those caught up in it. By the end of this work I was simply sick of Susan crying, Roland pining, his friends brooding and wondering cluelessly what was going on.<br /><br />My main problem was the complete waste of opportunity. When you think about the excellent prequel short story King wrote for Everythings Eventual it really seems such a waste that he chose to pour so much porridge intho his flashback tale in the DT series. It would have been incredible to have found out how Gilead fell, what happened on Jericho Hill and who the Good Man was, but instead we're forced to endure page after page about how Susan and Roland passed messages to one another by writing on bricks. What a shame.

fantastic!!

Well being a fan of the author Im going to be biased in his favour anyway.<br />I brought this book on the strength of the name.<br />I definately wasnt disapointed in the least and the ending made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up- fantastic.<br />Although this man writes for children I adore his books.This would suit adults as well who dont have a lot of time for reading but still enjoy it.<br />Ive ordered the rest of the series and have pre ordered the next installment of The order of five so I wont miss out.<br />Dont take my word for it read it yourself!!

Not my sort of book but...

I couldn't put this down. I only picked it up because I had nothing else to read and now I can't wait to buy more of his books. I hope they're all as good as this. <br /><br />Well worth buying and reading.

Rice's weakest novel.

I loved every other book in the series, so I was really looking forward to reading this, and it came as a bit of a disappointment. I find Rice's theological ramblings to be the weakest points in her books, so I should have realised beforehand that an entire novel dedicated to them was never going to be my cup of tea. Some scenes just seemed to read like clumsy Christian propaganda. Here's a tip, instead of reading this book, just invite some Jehovah's Witnesses in. At least their literature is free.

Oh my, my world was rocked

Ok I have been avid follower of Feehan books and as much as I love them they sometimes seem repetitive. I love that each book seees an emergence of species of the old but, this was fantastic.

The heroine is a real warrior with powers of old. She is fearless but a bit annoying sometimes in her character. That she is a blend of about 3 different species is incredible, but her actions don’t show this due to old ties...
The Hero is not as magnetic as his bros due to his frequent gloom and dominating manner but he manages to pull u in.

A need to read, honest. You won’t regret it. Just make sure that the day before you start, you have shopped n fulfilled all ur requirements, including keeping your patner near. For this book, u ll need that instant gratification. Wink wink.

Keep them coming

This was my second novel of the Dark series, but it was a pleasure for me that the characters from this book were different from the first. Only one thing remains common, the female characters are very independent and have very strong opinions and they drive the male characters crazy because of that, and of course the male characters, how should I put it, have a mentality of a man of the 15th century. But they have to grow up and mature and realize that women have achieved their liberation from men. It's hard for them but they come to terms with that.

This book introduces us to Aidan, one of the golden twins.... One of the ancients and very powerful Carpatians... This character unlike the other of his race is linked to his human"family", but for that you must read the book.

Alexandria is also a novelty regarding the other female character, she's also not alone in her life.

The love that they have for one another is taken through many ordeals until they can finally be with each other.

This book maintains the same feelings of the last but introduces the friendship that the male character has towards other characters besides his lifemate or Carpatians.

If you want loose yourself in another world, this is one the most beautifull to be lost in.

not as great

The book is good...but not as spellbinding as the previous ones.....the waiting for the meeting between Julian was and his ancient enemy was more than 300 hundred pages long..and the meeting took only 4 short pages...it made me say: that's it?? But I agree with the other readers.. nobody does vampires like Christine Feehan

Really good!

I loved"Lord of the Shadows"! One of the best in the saga (so far), in my opinion!<br /><br />Darren travels back to his hometown with Harkat and the Crique de Freak, here they met Darrens old school friend (who is now a famous football player), a strange young boy called Darius, an of course, Steve!<br /><br />Fans of Darren Shan wont be dissappointed with this one!.

Another good book in the series

In this book, Darren, Harkat and Mr Crepsly leave Vampire Mountain, by advice from Mr Tiny, in search of the Vampeneze Lord who they learn has been blooded.<br /><br />I thought that this book was really good - I read it in one sitting - and more lighthearted than the previous book - The Vampire Prince - which I had thought was a bit too depressing. Recomended for fans of the series.

Summary

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...<br /><br />It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.<br /><br />But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Read it even if you think you know the story.

The first time I sat my Junior Honours year at Aberdeen uni I signed up for a class on Scottish Lit. Among a few other titles this was one of the two that really blew me away. Stevenson wrote the piece in a few nights, the pace is cracking. It charts the fracturing of Henry Jekyll a talented and awkward young doctor. Upon creating a medical powder an ingredient is off and when testing the drug it transforms him into a distorted, twisted version of the man he once was. <br /><br />Thematically exploring the repression of homosexuality and the dangers of drug use, the most interesting part of the story is its reaction to Darwin's (at the time mind-bending) theories of evolution and the symbolism Stevenson uses to make this point.<br /><br />The book is modernist but easily appreciated by the reader, it's very short and despite Jekyll's transformations, pretty straight forward. Despite being set in London, my teacher pointed out the books Scottishness and that the London in the book has many similarities with Edinburgh.<br /><br />The main reason I feel people should read this book is simply that everyone knows the story; it's so ingrained in pop culture. Yet the book itself is so horrifying and atmospheric that it is completely new to read.<br /><br />The text in this version is clear and a good size. Definatly give it a go, it's rewarding read.

hooked and reeled in

I really have no idea what the first reviewer is wittering on about. This is the first of Christine Feehans books that I have read, in fact my first vampire book. I was enthralled from start to finish and have developed a thirst for more. I like the idea that there is this seperate race of beings that have untold power but still need to love and be loved. Lucian is what every woman wants, a powerfull man to love and protect her but who has the sense to let her be her own person. The power of this book is about balance. Lucian in spite of his strength and incredible abilities still needs a woman to ground him and keep him from self destruction. Jaxon is an intersting character in her own right with her own seperate abilities. This book works because you care about what happens to the main characters and want to follow their progress. This book made me want to live in their world, made me want to fight vampires, to be converted, and I don't think that the next time my husband nibbles my neck that I'll feel the same way about it! I have always given vampire tales a wide birth as I used to think that there was somthing uncomfortable about the thought of a male physically dominating a woman but with the way Ms Feehan as made Lucian vulnerable to the power of love and the way she descibes the need for him to cherish and protect his 'lifemate' make this story heartwarming. The sex scenes are finally crafted without to many euphamisims or to little detail just enough to pull you in without being overly salacious I intend to start from the first book in this series and follow through to the end as I'm keen to get to know the other members of this vibrant sexy world that this author has created.

Ending not up to much

The first part of the novel is fabulous. It's deeply dark and gothic; there's something gruesome but intriguing unrolling before your very eyes. From the cover you already know this is 1800s England. The reader is led to London with Gabriel Swift as our narrator. Gabriel wants to make his own way in the world following previous support from his Guardian and he ends up involved in a world of resurrectionists and stolen bodies; moving from one trade to another. He meets lively and violent characters along the way in his pursuit of something the reader isn't party to. According to the dust jacket it is a hell of his own making within the London underworld. Hell or not, it's truly gripping for the reader. <br /><br />Apparently this novel is a story of love unfulfilled but it's difficult to ascertain which love is unfulfilled. His love for his masters, guardians, friends, lovers, life or drugs. Very complex and with vivid imagery, some scenes leave little to the imagination (to my glee) and then unfortunately we get to the second part. In the last 70 pages I then became bitterly disapointed. I found it that unsatisfying it's enough to have brought it down to 3 stars; however the first part was fantastic to warrant a wobbly 4. I don't feel the second part was needed. I know it was designed to complete Gabriel's story and the results of breaking boundaries both morally and physically, yet I liked the way the first part ended. It would've left the reader to explore and entertain lots of different possibilities. However, Bradley obviously wanted us to explore this extra part of Gabriel's life, which for me spoiled it but for others might be the icing on this rather exquisite cake.

Incredible

"City of the Dead" follows directly from the excellent"The Rising" - and it exceeds its predecessor.<br /><br />This book is incredible. It is undoubtedly the best apocalyptic novel I have ever read...yes, it easily beats Stephen King's over-rated"The Stand". The action is non-stop, the suspense never lets up, and among it all the religious themes from the first book are carried right the way through to the end and the character development is top notch. I can hardly think of anything that was wrong with it, and that's not something I say often. Perhaps the only thing was that there was a sub-story of necrophilia in the book which seemed like it was only there for the shock factor, and wasn't necessary.<br /><br />But this is a rollicking read. Although I must warn those who always desire happy endings: don't expect one.<br /><br />I felt like it was the end of the world as I was reading City of the Dead. I was drawn into the story; I liked the characters and wanted them to survive. I cheered and groaned in anguish in equal measure. By the time I turned the last page, I was emotionally exhausted by what I had read, and by what had transpired before my eyes.<br /><br />In case you couldn't tell, I loved this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes epic, apocalyptic fiction. If you're worried that you might not like it because it has zombies, don't be: this is not your typical zombie novel.

About the size of a walnut

I read this after reading The Long Walk and couldn't get into it at all to begin with. I found it a little bit dull and difficult to relate to. But as the story progressed I became absolutely engrossed in it, it really becomes difficult to put down. It's incredibly sad at times, but can often be humorous and very suspenseful.<br /><br />This is a straight novel, no supernatural elements a la' king. In short, its a tale of one man standing in the way of progress, clutching onto the remains of the past with whatever it takes, slowly losing everything and descending into madness.<br /><br />Stephen King has gone on record as to say that this is the book he wrote at the time of his mother's death and the feelings he was experiencing at the time. Honestly, I think its a very underrated novel, King now claims this as his favourite of the Bachman books where once he said it was his weakest.