Gets Better and Better

I must admit i was not a big fan of the previous Sookie book as it had a bad plot and did not fit well but this one my oh my. I loved this one and could not put it down with this book i am hopeing it will be a new start for sookie as i did not like Bill in the first place. This book shows how good a writer Chairlaine is and that Stackhouse is still going strong after ten books personnally i was getting a little tired of sookie's life always in danger and her gettin beaten up in almost everybook with this one it goes at a nice slow pace that still maneges to draw you in to her world and never want to leave i do hope we see more of Hunter and my New fav character Claude in later books but this is a highly recommended read to any sookie fan out there

Brilliant book, great delivery.

The whole series is fantastic and I would recommend it. Twilight for grown ups but better.

Amazing Better than the series

I first watched the series one of True blood before buying the books and what a difference there is. The books are told from the P.O.V of Sookie and include alot more on her life and not other characters around her, those characters o pop up now and then but i feel that these books are lot better than the series. In almost all the books there are two plots running through in which sookie is somehow involved. The writer has taken the tme to plan these out as both storylines will connect to each other in ways that you dident see comeing. The books are not the best in terms of writing a sthe author does quite a lot of descriptions and recaping which at times can be annoying. The one downside to this collection is that they don't include the short storys that were written to some of the later boooks in the series. Whiich means you read a memory of something that happened in the short story ans you find yourself flipping though the previous books thinking you missed something. myself went online and discovered the short stories and bought them from here at a really good priceA Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Vampire Myst) all in all these books are a must have for any vampire fan

Not on par with the last few Pratchett offerings. . .

A new Terry Pratchett Discworld title is always a nice treat. Especially now that the author is battling with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, his legions of fans are aware that there might not be that many more installments to come.<br /><br />With Pratchett's tackling his country's passionate love affair with football (or soccer, if like me you live on the other side of the Atlantic), I believed that Unseen Academicals had the potential of being another terrific addition to the Discworld sequence. With his trademark witty humor and intelligent narrative, I felt that this would be another winner. And yet, sadly, Unseen Academical was, for me at least, one massive failure to launch.<br /><br />Here's the blurb:<br /><br />Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork - not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go going when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else. The prospect of the Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt (and no one knows anything much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt, which worries him, too). As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed for ever. Because the thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football. Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!<br /><br />The main problem was that Pratchett is all over the place with this one. And as a result, the novel fails to form a cohesive whole. The chuckles and the laughs are there, don't worry. But the various storylines don't come together very well. And for the first time in my life, portions of a Terry Pratchett book bored me out of my mind. I simply could not get into Unseen Academicals.<br /><br />Some of the plotlines are hilarious, true. Everything that had to do with the Unseen University was a lot of fun to read. Alas, all the scenes regarding Juliet's burgeoning modelling career were on the lame side. The same could be said of the relationship between Mr. Nutt and Glenda the Night Kitchen cook. Mr. Nutt was an interesting character in his own right until the truth about his identity is revealed. Overall, these disparate storylines make for an uneven read.<br /><br />At times it feels as though Pratchett lacked enough material for a complete novel, so he was forced to pad the plot with filler material. Given the fact that I was expecting another brilliant Pratchett offering, Unseen Academicals sometimes felt a bit uninspired.<br /><br />Nonetheless, this novel will likely please some of the author's less demanding fans or those looking for light fantasy fare, but I doubt it will help win him new ones. If you have yet to sample Pratchett's comical and intelligent style, Unseen Academicals is not a good place to start.<br /><br />Here's to hoping that the next Discworld book will be a return to form. . .<br />

Goes off at a angle to the rest of the series. But it works well.

What it lacks in Space Marine gung ho mayhem, it more than makes up for in showing us the lives of the 'little people' of the Imperium. The looming menace of Horus' insurrection is well put across and the reactions of the normal folk to the horrors of Chaos is equally well done. We all know how it's going to end up, but the ride there was very enjoyable and occasionally a little disturbing. <br /><br />The mid story twist is well done, and I didn't see it till I got to it. Though I suspect the clues are there when I read through a second time!

Power, knowledge and discourse.

Unlike Orwell's Animal Farm, 1984 is not a simple read, and the way in which the writer has chosen to convey his message can be quite complex and subtle to unpick. This is a book for all of those who feel they don't fit in, that they are an outsider in an insane world, controlled by megalomaniacs. This is a book for all those who feel that strong presence of being brainwashed to believe `2+2=5' in their everyday existence. To get the most out of this book it is imperative to understand what Orwell is trying to say, and I feel a great deal has been misunderstood about what this might be. Unfortunately, I feel 1984 has been a victim of being brought down to its lowest denominator, `Big Brother', and as such the subtleties that Orwell conveys have been lost, especially if what is meant by `Big Brother' is assumed, and not gathered from the words of this book. Orwell is not writing about a fictional scenario, he is writing about what he sees as a truthful matter of fact and conveying what he sees of the world around him through placing it in a fictional setting, therefore, to talk about plot and character are really quite unimportant, or at least secondary, in my opinion, as to why you would read this book-it is not a piece of entertainment as a serious investigation into the state of social experience; this is a piece of social philosophy more than it is a fictional story. I would have to say, this is not the best `story' I have ever read, but the ideas that Orwell conveys in this book, to me, are on par with such philosophical works as Foucault's concepts on discourse. Certainly an important book and one I would recommend to anyone interested in exploring ideas around power, knowledge and discourse.

An excellent finale to a superb series

Here it is, the book I've been waiting nearly two years for: The Evolutionary Void. The conclusion to the Void Trilogy, started with The Dreaming Void and followed up by The Temporal Void, is by far my most anticipated book of the year and the series is making very strong noises to be my favourite finished series ever. So, with expectations that simply couldn't get any higher, does The Evolutionary Void meet these? Simple answer: Hell yeah!<br /><br />The Evolutionary Void picks up immediately where The Temporal Void left off with no break in pacing, continuing the story in an effective, confident fashion. The many plot threads that have been built up over the first two novels are now dealt with convincingly, some with immediate effect while others come to the fore in preparation for the grand finale. It's very difficult, in fact nigh on impossible, to find any fault with this aspect of The Evolutionary Void. It is clear from many references and clues laid down in Dreaming and Temporal that the Void trilogy has been intricately plotted and even has details that go all the way back to the Commonwealth Saga. This is rather unsurprising when you consider that many of the characters present here have their origins in the duology.<br /><br />Some of the story lines that I was most anticipating delivered the goods. The Deterrence Fleet is hinted at many times and the revelation of what it is and the capabilities it has still manages to surprise. This can be said of many of the plot points in Evolutionary. For example, Araminta is the descendant of two Silfen friends and this is used during Temporal to show how she is able to share her dreams of the Skylord (albeit unknowingly) with the Living Dream movement. This heritage plays a fairly big role in Evolutionary and leads to some aspects that I just didn't see coming, despite how obvious they are when looking back.<br /><br />The format of Evolutionary Void also follows a similar path to that of the previous books, with the Commonwealth elements mixed with Inigo's dreams of life in the Void. While The Dreaming Void was roughly a 60/40 split in favour of the Commonwealth sections and The Temporal Void was roughly 70/30 in favour of the Void sections, The Evolutionary Void switches right back to focus more on the issues in the Commonwealth and the Void aspects taking a back seat, leading to the split being in the region of 80/20 in favour of the Commonwealth. This really does work in its favour and allows Peter to do what he does best: epic space opera. To say that Peter is ambitious in his plotting would be an understatement, but past good form is present here in every way possible, from bringing together plot threads to concluding the story in a fantastic way.<br /><br />Peter has developed all his characters throughout this series, with familiar faces from the Commonwealth Saga continually being developed nicely and new faces to the Void trilogy satisfying all aspects I could hope for. Each development that forms the story is conveyed convincingly through the characters, from Araminita taking the bull by the horns to the eventual discovery of Aaron's identity and past. Edeard's progress is perhaps the most controversial and seeing him change during his sections left me somewhat non-plussed. However, Peter does do an exceptional job at showing how extreme power can affect all while still managing to portray Edeard's life in a most realistic way. The eventual outcome is all the more satisfying for this exploration of his character and serves the story very well.<br /><br />One of the main aspects I loved about Dreaming and Temporal was Edeard's story, a story that is both gripping and emotional. I mentioned briefly above about his character in Evolutionary so I won't go into more detail here, but what did surprise me is that the format of consecutive Dreams is not followed here. It turns out Inigo had a lot of Dreams of Edeard's life and all that is covered in the first two novels is only a small aspect of it. Instead of sticking to the known, Peter goes outside this pattern and does not tell us everything, but rather select and important times of his life that have the greatest effect on the plot and story. Yes, I would have liked to read them all, but quantity does not always mean quality, and it is the quality and overall story that makes this approach powerful and meaningful to The Evolutionary Void.<br /><br />There were two particular questions that I had before starting The Evolutionary Void, one relating to Inigo's Last Dream and the other relating to just how effectively Peter could conclude this trilogy. While I wanted them to hit the right notes I was just that little bit sceptical that they may miss the mark, just not being able to convince myself to ignore those doubts, unfounded as they were.<br /><br />Inigo's Last Dream is one of the most beautifully written and poetic pieces of writing I have ever read. Seeing it coming from Peter was one of the biggest surprises and most pleasant finds in Evolutionary. While fairly short, it conveys so much emotion and feeling that I had to put the book down after reading it simply to absorb what I had read. Stunning is one way to describe it, awe inspiring would be another, but without a doubt it is the highlight of the novel.<br /><br />The conclusion of the trilogy was something I hoped would be a fitting end and able to silence previous critics of Peters work. Not only does it do this, it manages to bring aspects laid down throughout the trilogy together in an ending that is grand in scale and perfectly suited to what has been laid out in the trilogy as a whole.<br /><br />If I had to put forward one quibble it would not be about this book, but rather the fact that the Commonwealth Saga, which consists of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained and is set 1200 years prior to the Void Trilogy, really needs to be read to gain a full appreciation of this epic story. While both are fairly separate, the story they form as a whole makes the experience much more fulfilling. There are aspects present in the Void trilogy, particularly Evolutionary Void, that hark back to this previous saga. While I wouldn't say it's a compulsory read, you will get the most enjoyment if you take the time to get around to them first.<br /><br />So, I think you can probably tell from the above that I really did love this book, thought the trilogy has been exceptional and would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. It's intricately plotted and you'd be hard pressed to find another author who can pull off such a vision. For grand scale, epic space opera on a huge canvas it doesn't get much better than this. Highly, highly recommended.<br />

Fabulous book

Just the most amazing book to read very deep and almost, as good as 1984, but not quite for me.<br />Still an amazing read though.<br />

She's all grown up!!

This is the first Women of the Otherworld with Savannah as the narrator, and it's nice to see her grown up and coming into her own. Although not as good as some of the series such as the werewolf books with Elena, it is much better than others in the series like the ones starring Jamie Vegas. As some of of the other women in the series are now in their late 30's, it was nice to have a fresh, young perspective again. You can see Savannah trying different approaches and and being unsure of herself which is a change of pace from the sure, confident women previously in the series. It was also great to see Adam popping up again in the book and to see that the chemistry he and Savannah have always had since she was a teen, slowly blossoming into something more adult and exciting. Overall, a good read with a nice cliffhanger I didn't see coming, the next Savannah book should be a gem!

You won't do anything until this is finished..

This has it all, Neal Asher at his best - again producing kinetic, intelligent and gripping SF that hooks the reader from the first page and demands your attention until the end. Read this now.

i loved it!

i thought this book was great! was exactly what it said it was! i was so happy when i realised ALL the short stories were in one book to add to the collection. because before i realised what this book was i was going to buy all the other books that had the short stories in.i really enjoyed them all! if your a sookie fan and you havnt read the short stories or even if you have i would definatly say buy to add to the collection!!!

The 'Golden' Scarab Path

Like the rest of the series so far this book keeps you stuck to its pages wiht the twists and turns in its plot.<br />As mentioned before and undoubtly later the series gets better with each book, the detail more astounding as the characters <br />build up new levels of development and emotions. <br /><br />The best yet in my opinion of the series, Adrian continues to amaze me in how complex he can make a simple plot be.

Big disappointment

Having spent many years avoiding fantasy fiction, believing it started with Tolkien and ended with Stephen Donaldson, I was tempted into buying this on the strength of HBO making it into a mini-series (with Sean Bean, so it should be good, I thought). I got to page 81 and realised that as I had fewer years left to live than I started with, I wasn't going to spend any of them trying to understand the goings-on in another made-up world, with characters with made-up names doing things I didn't much care for. Sorry. It's ok for people who like this stuff but, quite honestly, it's all the same. The cover notes tell me its ambition is to 'construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction', so why not just read about the twelve Caesars? - much more interesting and at least they were real. Still love Tolkien, though.

Sookie short stories - worth reading or not?

<br />This collects the short stories Harris has written for various anthologies and so is a bit of a filler. The stories vary in tone and interest and are interspersed throughout the time-line of the series.<br /><br />Fairy Dust and Lucky have Sookie playing detective first amongst the fairies, and then in Bon Temps with Amelia as side-kick. One Word Answer tells the story of Sookie's cousin Hadley's death which, if you've already read the series to date, you'll know all about. Dracula Night offers some much-needed Eric, and Gift Wrap takes place after Dead and Gone so shouldn't be read before that unless you're not bothered by spoilers.<br /><br />So are these worth reading? Harris doesn't seem to have found her feet as a short story writer and these feel like fragments rather than shaped narratives in their own right. They're worth reading for dedicated Sookie fans but don't really add much, and aren't a good place for new readers to start as they don't give a flavour of Harris' true skills.<br />

Mass Entertainment

Drew Karpyshyn has done it again with his third book in the Mass Effect series!<br /><br />Mass Effect Retribution seemlessly continues the stories of Kahlee Sanders and Paul Grayson from Mass Effect Ascension, and the ongoing story of the Illusive Man and the Reapers from Mass Effect 2, bringing the storyline of the games and the book together for the first real time.<br /><br />The book is set two years after the events of Ascension and shortly after the events of Mass Effect 2. As with the second book, the storyline cleverly references the story of the game without giving a definitive outcome of the choices made, meaning that players of the game can incorporate their own story, whatever that may be, into the universe where this story is set and it still make perfect sense.<br /><br />Retribution offers tantalising insight into the predominant stories throughout the Mass Effect universe; from the vulnerability of the seemingly untouchable Cerberus and their leader"The Illusive Man", to the true effects of Reaper Indoctrination and the effects of the synthetic"repurposing", as well as setting up the storyline which will lead into the third and final game.<br /><br />I couldn't put this book down. Karpyshyn has the talent and ability to give you just enough story to keep you reading on and on, desperate to find out what happens next. The characters are emotionally involving and deep and the locations are well imagined.<br /><br />You must read this book!<br /><br />