Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. ... Read more

Editorial Review

When I was yet a very young woman I threw my heart away. Ever since then I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, the way Humans think all Fey live.

Among the towering trees of magical Avalon, where humans dare not tread, lives Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. Her people, the Fey, are folk of the wood and avoid the violence and greed of man. But the strife of King Arthur's realm threatens even the peace of Avalon. And while Merlin the mage has been training Niviene as his apprentice, he now needs her help to thwart the chaos devouring Camelot. Niviene's special talents must help save a kingdom and discover the treachery of men and the beauty of love...

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"The story glows...a mythical tapestry that is at once completely recognizable yet utterly fresh..."
-Publishers Weekly

"Like The Mists of Avalon, the Arthurian legend from a woman's point of view."
-USA Today

"Readers will be enchanted...the characters and strands of the famous legend are skillfully woven together here."
-School Library Journal

"Take heed: the feminist possibilities of the Arthurian legendary cycle were not exhausted by Marion Zimmer Bradley's bestselling The Mists of Avalon... A riveting good read."
-Booklist

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What readers are saying:

"A rather unique look at the legend of King Arthur."

"An exquisite addition to Arthurian literature."

"The writing is lyrical; the plot twists are original. Great!"

Reviews

Hypnotic
Reading Merlin's Harp, I realized something about novels that portray the interaction between the human world and Faerie. They usually don't tell the stories of fae folk in their own homeland. There are exceptions, of course, but authors tend to focus on faeries stuck in the human world, or humans encountering Faerie. I think I may know why that is. When writing about faeries living in Faerie, it's all too easy to have nothing happen.

Anne Eliot Crompton uses beautiful, if occasionally stilted, language to draw us into her take on Arthurian legend:

"When I was yet a young woman I threw my heart away.

I fashioned a wee coracle of leaf and willow twig and reed, a coracle that sat in the hollow of my two palms. In this I placed my wounded, wretched heart, and I set it adrift on the rain-misted wavelets of the Fey river, and I watched it bob and whirl, sail and sink. Ever since I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, cold as spring rain, the way Humans think all Fey live. Humans I have known would be astounded to learn that I ever had a heart that leapt, brightened, fainted, quickened, warmed, embraced, froze or rejected, like their own."

The narrator is Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. In the ensuing chapters, Niviene endeavors to tell us how she came to the point of throwing her heart away. This ornate, image-rich prose continues, and Niviene meanders and digresses in her tale. She'll mention an old family friend, then backtrack and tell us all about how she came to meet him before going back to the main thread of her narrative.

By combining the flowery style with a narrative that is ever looping back on itself, Crompton conveys a sense of what Faerie is said to be like. It's beautiful and hypnotic, and time doesn't flow in Faerie the way it does in the human realm. The trouble is, it's *too* hypnotic. Lulling. Dreamlike. Reading Merlin's Harp made me sleepy. While falling into an enchanted slumber and waking on the cold hillside is very much in keeping with Faerie tradition, it doesn't help propel one through a novel.

It also doesn't help that not much happens in the first hundred pages or so, which is as far as I got before giving up. Roughly the first ninety pages are taken up with an interpretation of the Lady of Shalott tale, and a rather uninteresting one. The main problem is Gwenevere, who spends this entire sequence drugged and being toddled around like a doll. Sure, she's gorgeous, but can physical beauty alone account for the trouble she unwittingly causes here? I've seen sympathetic Gweneveres and unsympathetic ones, but all the best portrayals afford her some charisma that helps explain why she is so loved.

This is followed by a four-page sequence (I counted) in which Niviene gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, the son grows to the age of five, and then the son goes missing. All in four pages. That was when I decided to give up. If it takes ninety pages for a young boy to break a young girl's heart in favor of a pretty woman in a stupor, and four pages for a fetus to become a five-year-old, the pacing is just a little too strange for me, Faerie or no.

Merlin's Harp contains some lovely language and an interesting perspective on the Matter of Britain, but finally the pacing and the hypnotic effect were too much for me. I recommend it to fans of lush prose who have plenty of coffee on hand.

The writing is lyrical; the plot twists are original. Great!
Merlin's Harp is an exquisite addition to Arthurian literature. Anne Crompton's writing is lyrical and beautiful. It leads you into the story and keeps you there. Her very original presentation of well known characters, well known story lines, and even objects such as the Grail is so very intriguing that you do not want to put the book down until you have finished it. Her central character Niviene is delightfully "odd" and fantastical. This is a Niviene no one has seen before. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is one of the few books that really does take you into another world. When you put it down, when you have read every page, you are left with a feeling of amazement and sheer delight in the experience.

Fresh perspective with new insights !
Merlin's Harp is a great short read (one day ), that will transport the reader back to Arthurian times through the eyes of an important, but not much talked about player. The book reminds me of 'Forest House' by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It is light reading, yet keeps your interest. Merlin's Harp will give the reader new insight on Lancelot and Melwas, with a new revelation on Merlin and the Holy Grail

Creative - Original - Excellent
If you liked Mists of Avalon, here is another book you will enjoy. The book is based on the perspective of a Fey woman. The first few chapters focus entirely on the life of the Fey and I found it a very interesting perspective. Merlin is introduced as is Guenevere and Arthur and Lancelot - though you don't know this at first. The introduction of characters is subtle and almost elusive. Not until later in the book does the plot twist and turn and bring you to the familiar aspects of the Arthurian legend we all recognize. It is a fast and intriguing read. I also liked her inclusion of Merlin's songs throughout the novel. They brought the poetic oral tradition of the legend into the book to show how the story evolved over time to the tale we know today. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Editorial Review

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps - the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Humans and half-bloods alike agree--Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series fit for heroes! Re-live the adventure from the beginning with this boxed set of the first three books.

The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe--Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends--a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

The Sea of MonstersAfter a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly calm. But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters--the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia--only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new nameL: the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family--one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke...

The Titan's CurseWhen Percy Jackson receives a distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty broze sword Riptide; and... a ride from his mom. The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have unwittingly fallen prey. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse. ... Read more

Reviews

A true joy for children and adults, and the only other series that even comes close to Harry Potter
I am a 24 year old married woman, and like many Harry Potter fans I have been reading unfufilling series after unfufilling series for the last few years trying to find something to fill that void. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is fantastic. I have to say I did like the second and third books a little more than the first. They were more colorful and funny than the Lightning Thief. Everything that you loved about Harry Potter is in this book, but not in the haphazard, copycat, money-maker way that some other series have tried (*cough cough Charlie Bone and Septimus Heap to name a couple). This is totally original and you will find yourself with the same love of Camp Half-blood that you had for Hogwarts. While this book is for children it is meaty. It has substance, thoughtful characters, interesting plots, and an intricate world I cant get enough of. I had a hard time putting the books down. I cant wait for the next book to come in so I can start right back up again. My cousin recommended this to me and I just cannot thank her enough. Thanks again Debbie!

Excellent, even for reluctant readers
My 4th grade son who does not love to read absolutely loves this series. I can't get him to stop reading; he is reading instead of TV, video games, outside, etc. I read a few chapters of each of the 4 and they are well written, funny, and full of action/adventure. Great books!

Highly Entertaining for Both Kids & Adults
I bought this set for my daughter, who's a fan of Greek mythology, and ended up enjoying them myself as well. Like the "Harry Potter" and "Narnia" series, these books appeal to readers of all ages. I also appreciated the prominent featuring of strong female characters.

Some of the plot twists I did find a bit on the predictable side but I still thought the books were highly entertaining.

Series as a whole
I actually posted this on a discussion thread on books for fifth graders. But I decided it fit well in a review, so here it is. I feel (as a mom and as a teacher) that this series is great for everyone from strong fourth grade readers through eighth grade and beyond.

My now 14-year-old son introduced me to this series: relatively new, from Rick Riordan. The Olympians have apparently moved Olympus over the years, following the westward march of civilization - in fact, Olympus is now floating above the Empire State Building in New York City! The main character is Percy (Perseus) Jackson, who is a half-god (Demigod), introduced in the first book, "The Lightning Thief". This first book is not as engaging as the following ones, but this is mainly because it first introduces all of the characters and has to give a lot of background quickly.

Each subsequent book covers roughly one year (well, usually one summer) of Percy's adventures. They generally start out from Camp Half-Blood, the magically protected space on Long Island Sound set aside for Greek/Roman gods' half-human children. They need this special summer camp for protection from all the monsters and evils that we mere mortals can never see because of "the mist" that makes us interpret what we see only in ways that make sense to us. So, that evil substitute teacher might actually be a harpy, sent to weed out another half-blood. :-)

This creative and engaging series introduces or reinforces ancient myths from Greek and Roman mythology, and does a wonderful job of painlessly increasing cultural literacy for the "history of Western Civilization". In fact, it covers many legends beyond that as well, because the premise is that the Olympians have always existed, and they just keep moving their base every few hundred years, through major civilizations on several continents. Really an awesome series, especially for fairly competent, but possibly reluctant, readers in 8th grade and up.

good books
I've read all four books and I have found them pretty good. Not as good as the Harry Potter books in my opinion- they don't have quite the descriptive and immersing storyline- but the Percy Jackson novels are full of adventure throughout the entire book, which I found to be entertaining enough to make up for lack of detail. My only disappointments are that the books are really written for a younger audience (unlike many other YA books, which are written so teens can enjoy them and older adults can get even more out of them, i.e. HP), also that he either assumes you have a bad memory or that you haven't read the previous books.

My opinion is based from someone who is 25. If your the parent of a teenager or preteen, then my nags do not apply to them. They will likely love the books without any complaints! I'm more speaking to those closer to my age or older.
My 16 yr old brother loved the first book and is reading the second- and he hardly reads. He never finished the 3rd HP book, and hasn't read much of anything else except half of a zombie book. I thought he could use some new books, and I hoped to enjoy them as well. - Which I did.

Each book gets better. the story becomes much more developed with each book, but it always seemed like Riordan tried to keep them short. I personally like more immersion- which needs more detail. But don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to put down the books! I think their great books, and I would recommend them to anyone under 20, and many adults who enjoyed the HP books.

*Edit: My little brother is now finished with the fourth book and my family is excited that he is actually reading! He very much liked these PJ books and is telling his friends about them. I've already said he could lone the first one to a friend. I'm looking for other books now that he might like. Think I'll go with the Bartimaeus Trilogy next.

A great read to share with you and your child
I have been looking for an adventurous series for my almost 9 year old boy and finally found it. I read the first book first then gave to him to read. The author wrote with such wit and it is interesting to combine mythology in the story. Now I want to go back to look for some mythology books to read. It is truly enjoyable.. my son is not avid reader but yesterday he read this book 1 for 4 hours on our long road trip. He is ready to read book #2. I just finished book #2 so we can discuss... He couldn't put it down because he wanted to know how the story develops..

This book changed me
I am an 11-year-old girl who absolutely hated reading. I could never find a book I liked. If I actually found a good book, I would end up getting bored with it and not finishing it. Then, I happened to stumble upon "Percy." I opened up this book, and I never put it down. I read all day long, while eating dinner, while brushing my teeth, and even read it by flashlight in bed. I finished the series in less than two weeks. I cried so hard when I was finished with the last book. I was literally sick to my stomach and had a headache. I was bedstricken, okay???!! Then, I found out Rick Riordan would be writing a new "Percy" series, featuring some of the old characters. I have no reason to live until "The Lost Hero" comes out. (October 12th.) This is coming from a girl who, 2 weeks before "Percy", wouldn't even read a picture book. Rick Riordan, you are amazing. This author knows what his mythology-loving audience wants to read. And I will be reading Rick's work as long as I can possibly stand it!!!!!!!

Exciting Adventures and Likeable Hero
Percy Jackson is an ordinary 12-year-old except for dyslexia, ADHD, and his propensity for getting expelled from private schools. He is also being attacked by monsters out of Greek mythology. His mother brings him to Camp Half-Blood where he learns that he is the son of a god and a hero who has to go on a quest. Percy, along with his friends Annabeth (daughter of Athena) and Grover (satyr) must battle gods and mythological monsters as they try to bring Zeus his stolen lightning bolt before the solstice in order to stop the gods from going to war. Excellent adventure for middle grade readers. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

In a town where gossip thrives like the ivy that clings to its mansions, where mysteries lie behind manicured hedges and skeletons hide in every walk-in closet, four perfect-looking girls aren't nearly as perfect as they seem.

Three years ago, Spencer, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and their best friend Alison were the girls at Rosewood Day School. They clicked through the halls in their Miu Miu flats, tanned in their matching Pucci bikinis, and laughed behind their freshly manicured fingernails. They were the girls everyone loved but secretly hated—especially Alison.

So when Alison mysteriously vanished one night, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna's grief was tinged with . . . relief. And when Alison's body was later discovered in her own backyard, the girls were forced to unearth some ugly memories of their old friend, too. Could there be more to Alison's death than anyone realizes?

Now someone named A, someone who seems to know everything, is pointing the finger at one of them for Ali's murder. As their secrets get darker and their scandals turn deadly, A is poised to ruin their perfect little lives forever.

Reviews

perfect is... perfect!, August 25, 2007
it's difficult to write this review without making any spoilers. i will just say, please read books 1 and 2 first, in order, because if you don't, you will miss out on what's going on and all the interpersonal relationships/drama between the characters. And let me just say, there is LOTS OF JUICY DRAMA in this book!!! All 4 of the girls have really good scenes, I like how Sara Sheppard doesn't play favorites and gives proper attention to all her characters so that it's mot like you're skimming past the filler chapters of the 3 other characters to get to the chapter with the character that actually matters, in Pretty Little Liars, there are no filler chapters and all the characters matter!

*** TEENY TINY SEMI-SPOILER ***
In this book we MAYBE find out who Ali's killer possibly might be, but we aren't sure because as it turns out.......... LOL I'm not gonna tell you! go read the book!!!

The 'Perfect' blend of mystery and scandal, September 13, 2007
There was a time, back in the seventh grade, when Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Emily Fields ruled Rosewood Day school. Together, these five girls determined what, and who, was hot, and what, and who, were so yesterday. They were the girls everyone wanted to be - especially Ali - and the ones every guy wanted to date. Even Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily felt jealousy towards the perfect Ali. Still, the five girls spent every waking moment together, trading secrets, gossiping about their classmates, and hanging at the mall where they shopped 'til they dropped, their parents credit cards in tow. But then, everything changed. At the end of seventh grade, Ali suddenly up and disappeared without a trace, and each of the girls slowly went their own ways. That is, until "A" came into the picture, threatening to reveal each of their deepest, darkest secrets; and an unlikely discovery was made, that of Ali's body, buried under the cement in her old backyard. Suddenly, it became evident, that secrets don't always stay buried.

After Ali disappeared, Hanna Marin dropped Spencer, Aria, and Emily, and picked up a new friend in the dorky Mona Vanderwaal. Together, they vowed to drop the extra weight, and become the most beautiful girls in school. Now, at the age of sixteen, they have both accomplished just that. But they want more. With Mona's Sweet Seventeen quickly approaching, there's no doubt in their minds that this won't be the bash of the century. But thanks to "A," there's trouble a-brewing between the two besties. Trouble that could set them at odds with each other forever. Spencer Hastings knew that it was wrong to steal her sister, Melissa's, essay for economics class. But it was so perfect, and there's no harm in a little fib now and then. Unfortunately, the essay has been entered into the Golden Orchid competition, throwing Spencer into the midst of semi-fame. Spencer just wants to ignore the congratulations surrounding her, but "A" is making that difficult with the constant threats of revealing her wrong-doing. Emily Fields knows that being gay would make her family hate her for life. She also knows that, if she doesn't report "A" to the police, she, or one of her old friends, could end up dead. She just never realized that coming forward with information would make her the target of "outing" her to the whole town. Aria Montgomery thought that her troubles were over when her family moved to Iceland for three years. But, upon return, her father, Byron, continued the affair he had left behind with his student, Meredith; and, due to the fact that Aria knew all about it, her mother wants nothing to do with her. Luckily, she has Ezra to run to. Unfortunately, with "A" around, he may not be able to claim the title as her "knight in shining armor" for much longer. As if dealing with "A" weren't enough, of course, there's some peeping tom-like nutcase running around the pretentious Philadelphia town of Rosewood peering into windows, and creeping everyone out; and the girls think that the newfound stalker may somehow be related to "A."

Not many book series get better with each installment. However, with Sara Shepard's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, the series can be comparable to a fine wine - it only gets better with age. Or, in this case, with each new addition to the collection. PERFECT is no exception. From page one, I was hooked, and found myself incapable of putting down this amazing new novel. Hanna is still my favorite character. Her struggles with an eating disorder, and feelings of loneliness, as she finds herself on the outs with her superficial best friend, Mona, truly make you feel emotional towards her; while Aria's current situation regarding her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Ella, her difficulties with her father, Byron, and her growing feelings for her English teacher, Ezra, only work to invoke the same feelings. While Spencer isn't necessarily stealing Melissa's boyfriends, as she was in the previous installments, the new insight she gains into her childhood and current lifestyle thanks to a few sessions from her new therapist, Dr. Evans, are extremely gripping, and hard to ignore. And Emily...well, the fact that she's suddenly faced with kissing Maya goodbye, or just plain kissing her, is enough to throw her off her game. While PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and FLAWLESS were slightly more light and fluffy; PERFECT brings in an extremely emotionally charged storyline that leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, contemplating what will happen in the fourth, and final chapter of the saga. The PERFECT blend of mystery and scandal.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Perfect by Sara Shepard, September 23, 2007
The third book in this awesome series by Sara Shepard is the best yet. As soon as we think everything is getting better, it all comes crashing down in a wave of confusion and betrayal. And A is behind it all. She knows everyone's secrets, and she'll use them to get what she wants. Spencer, Emily, Aria, and Hanna have nothing to do but watch their lives fall apart around them.

But now they know who Ali's killer is. Or do they?

Fantastic, August 22, 2007
This book fell nicely into the series. The girls just keep stacking up the secrets and A just keeps knocking them down. Read the whole seires its a good read.

Shocking!, August 21, 2007
The third Pretty Little Liars is shocking. Practically every part will stun you. A is even more sneaky and evil in this book- and has several mistakes, and flops, up her sleeve. Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily really begin to see who A really is. The mystery surrounding Ali's actions before her death are slowly being revealed as is her killer. This is typical, wonderful PLL, but even better. The girls are even more real in this book. It's hard to put into words how much I really loved this book without telling what happened!!!! It still seems a little early to yell about everything that happened, and everything that A did to all of them!!!! We've been warned for two books what might happen if the girls didn't do what A said. In Perfect, we find out exactly what she has in store for all them. Can Emily and Maya's secret be kept safely in the closet? Can Spencer recall the night Ali disappeared in full detail? What about Aria and Ezra? The mystery of A is not solved, but something else very important is. Some people have said the books have no depth to them, but I don't understand how anyone can say that anymore after Perfect. Perfect is incredibly suspenseful, and if you're prone to paranoia, be warned. Your curtains and blinds are going to bo closed for a while.

Perfect is .. Perfect!, September 15, 2007
Perfect was definitely the best out of the series. 'A' is so much more malicious in this book, which causes many tragedies and predicaments to occur. You find out who Ali's killer MIGHT be, who is someone I really did not expect. The great (but kind of annoying) thing about this book is that my predictions about perfect were never right! I never expected some of the events in Perfect to occur, and I was completely surprised when they did. It took me only two days to read this book because it was so suspenful and chocked full of juicy details and events! The end disapointed me because I thought you know who 'A' was--and I really thought I might find out, but then the book ends and something terrible happens. I was upset that the book ended on such a sour note, and it left me craving for more. I am super excited for the next book and I am sure I will be shocked when I found out who 'A' really is.

And the Plot Thickens, June 27, 2010
I am totally hooked on this series. As you read each chapter, you have no idea who really is A. So I found myself pointing the finger at just about every character in the book. I found some parts of this book to be a little slow. But then the story took off and I couldn't put the book down. I was not expecting the ending that came and couldn't wait to get to book four. The book gets closer to revealing A's identity. Trust me. It's not who you think it is.

Didn't see THAT coming..., January 18, 2009
Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily are still dealing with Ali's murder investigation. Someone leaked a home video of the five girls together days before Ali went missing and the media can't stop playing it. Repeatedly watching the video makes each girl wonder if they really did know Ali at all. Spencer sums it up by saying:


"Being Ali's friend was great, but we had to make a lot of sacrifices. We went through a lot together, and some of it wasn't good. It was like, 'We go through all this for you, and you repay us by ditching us?'" (p. 153)


As each girl struggles to deal with "A's" threats, "A" begins to up the ante. "A" is now sending texts and leaving messages to the people in their lives exposing their secrets. As each girl is on the verge of losing it all, one of them desperately tries to remember the night Ali went missing. Is it possible she's responsible for Ali's death? "A" makes one little mistake and one of the four friends realizes "A's" identity. Before she can tell the others, she's mysteriously involved in an accident. Will she survive to reveal "A's" identity? Or will "A" have to take drastic measures to fix his/her mistake?

Perfect, so far, is my favorite in the series. The author does a great job of showing how each girl is struggling to maintain her sanity and keep her life intact while dealing with "A's" threats. I didn't see the end coming and I can't wait to start Unbelievable to see what happens next.

Worm is starting to turn..., December 16, 2008
After breezing through the previous 2 books in this series I was eager to start the next volume. I ended up finishing it in one night, just like I did with the other two. The books are just that good.

This volume finds all of the girls starting to really feel the negative effects of their actions as well as feeling the true wrath of the mysterious A. Aria's getting kicked out of her house, but luckily her new boyfriend Shaun is there to pick up the pieces. With love like that there's no way she could still be lusting after her teacher beau, right? Then Spencer's starting to panic because not only is she nominated for an award that she doesn't deserve, but now she's discovering that she has a nasty little habit that her parents never told her about. Emily's slowly starting to realize the truth about herself. Too bad that A's intent on kicking her out of the closet projectile-style. Then there's Hanna. Her BFF Mona hates her and her dad still hasn't called her after what her nasty step-sis to be did. She's also a step closer to finding out who A is- too bad that A has no intention on giving up that particular secret just yet.

I love this series. I never thought I'd get into a mean girl series, but I did. The previous books were a little rushed & the families were a little overly mean, but now we're seeing more characters & families that aren't as horrendous as our fab 4's families are. We're still no closer to discovering who A is, although it's fun to guess. My only lament about the book is that the way I'm breezing through them, I'll finish them before the series is finished. (Which means I'll have to wait for the next volume to come out rather than get to read it right away!)

Like in my previous reviews I will warn parents that there is sex and some violence in this series. However this is the 3rd volume, so I would hope that parents would be aware of the content by this point! Still, some parents will still want to read the books with their kids & discuss it afterwards. The books are fun to read & it's a great way to connect with your kids as you talk about the mature themes & puzzle over who A could be.

5/5

BEST YET!!!, July 3, 2008
It rocked!!!! Best so far but I still got Unbeleivable and whatever she writes. So Spencer ends up with the blame for Ali's murder and Aria, Hanna, and Emily suspect its her. Well Aria and Emily did but Hanna never did get to reveal who A really was and A *** *** **** because "She knew to much" Aria is homless and boyfriendless and was pretty much ****** from her family. She's pretty sure her life sucks. Emily is being sent to a special group for gays but when she catches her coach with her ex... And for Hanna. Poor girl got dumped by her best friend after A totally sabatoged her and when A slipped up, Hanna got her digits and realized it was... This book made me wish Unbelievable would arrive from Amazon.com already. So suspensful and amazing. I sure hope Hanna returns after what A did to her. But as far as I know, A decided to get a new victim along with the pretty little liars. You'll have to see!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!�

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine? ... Read more

Editorial Review

Prepare yourself for a journey through the world of Patton Oswalt, one of the most creative, insightful, and hysterical voices on the entertain­ment scene today. Widely known for his roles in the films Big Fan and Ratatouille, as well as the television hit The King of Queens, Patton Oswalt—a staple of Comedy Central—has been amusing audiences for decades. Now, with Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, he offers a fascinating look into his most unusual, and lovable, mindscape.

Oswalt combines memoir with uproarious humor, from snow forts to Dungeons & Dragons to gifts from Grandma that had to be explained. He remem­bers his teen summers spent working in a movie Cineplex and his early years doing stand-up. Readers are also treated to several graphic elements, includ­ing a vampire tale for the rest of us and some greeting cards with a special touch. Then there’s the book’s centerpiece, which posits that before all young creative minds have anything to write about, they will home in on one of three story lines: zom­bies, spaceships, or wastelands.

Oswalt chose wastelands, and ever since he has been mining our society’s wasteland for perversion and excess, pop culture and fatty foods, indie rock and single-malt scotch. Zombie Spaceship Wasteland is an inventive account of the evolution of Patton Oswalt’s wildly insightful worldview, sure to indulge his legion of fans and lure many new admirers to his very entertaining “wasteland.” ... Read more

Editorial Review

Experience the bestselling phenomenon of Brisingr, now in a deluxe edition!

This deluxe edition includes deleted scenes, never-before-seen art by the author, and a guide to dwarf runes.
 
Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
 
First is Eragon's oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran's beloved from King Galbatorix's clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices—choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
 
In Eragon lies the greatest hope for a better Alagaësia. Can this once simple farm boy rise to become the leader he must to unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
 
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
An IndieBound Bestseller
... Read more

Reviews

"...events have been dark and bloody of late.", September 27, 2008
I'm not your typical Eragon basher. I find the professional Eragon detractors tiringly obsessive, and every time someone clogs up a message board with another hey-this-is kinda-like-Star Wars post he's SURE is pure unprecedented genius insight, I'm certain an angel loses his wings.

Unfortunately, the series is growing into the complaints. Paolini does have talent, but his sales figures and incredible life story have seemingly allowed his manuscripts to go unchecked, and his writing flaws are getting worse, not better.


Three major problems with "Brisingr":

1) It's way too violent. It opens on a group of fanatics who slice off their own limbs to prove their faith, whose rituals we observe in loving detail. (The head priest has lopped himself down to just a torso.) We soon continue to a torture victim whose eyes have been pecked - eaten - out of his face. "Gore" is Paolini's favorite word, particularly when it is "smeared" on something, and we get endless graphic depictions of Roran's hammer smashing an enemy soldier's skull/throat/arm/spine, its owner rejoicing in the carnage. I don't expect war to be bowlderized, but the book revels in charnel for its own sake and is too bloody for readers under thirteen.

2) Eragon has become a bit of a sociopath. A reunion with one of his childhood bullies - who's just been through horrific torture - becomes a control-and-humiliate fantasy that's disturbing. When the typically closed Arya touchingly recounts her love's recent death and how it stole all joy from her world, Eragon's heart is unmoved; he feels only irritation and jealousy, fuming that he will "not be discouraged in his suit". (Has he been reading "The Game"?) The book's ruminations on the morality of killing reach only the uninspired conclusion that it's unavoidable in war, and we're thus meant to take a certain satisfaction when Eragon joyfully dispatches even those ordinary men forced into service by Galbatorix. I guess the debate was meant only to free us from our nagging moral reservations.

As in "Eldest", Eragon's praised to high heaven by every single soul, given credit for every achievement. At points, the book seems to have other characters only so that they can sing of their inferiority to its shining star.

3) As nearly every other commenter has noted, it's too bloated, with deadly pacing. Galbatorix's nightmarish Ra'zac servants are dealt with early, leaving Eragon to dither with rebel leader Nasuada and go off on a few preparatory errands for about 600 pages. (A 200-page detour into dwarf politics is particularly deadening.) We keep waiting for the meat to arrive, for some crisis or confrontation, and (save for a quick and inconsequential early battle with Murtagh) it never comes. There is no real climax, save for the easily-accomplished sacking of one city and a death we all long saw coming, albeit not in such meaningless circumstances.

The lack of individual voices in the story makes things drag all the more; every character has an identical manner of speaking, all bloviation and overexplanation in high-fantasy Olde Englishe. Paolini too often substitutes scads of meaningless proper names for the little moments that make bring a fantasy world to life.

A few of those moments slip through, though, like the dotty old man who roosts in the majestic ruins of a half-toppled, tree-like tower, harvesting peas. Or when Arya, on a whim, braids a miniature ship from wild grasses and breathes into it magic that will allow it fly for perpetuity; Eragon wonders what stories people will tell of it in the years to come. I laugh at the self-important magicians' society Du Vrangr Gata, whose study of the ancient language is not as complete as they think and whose name therefore translates into the Alagaesian equivalent of Engrish. I like the atypically crusty elven smith, intolerant of how "too polite, too refined, too precious" her Tolkien-influenced race has become, or the touches of culture (family totems, bedtime stories) Paolini has given his orc race. For those who like dragons, Saphira's a sparkling specimen.

And there are *dwarf ninjas*. That's gotta count for something, with someone.

My point is that the books need less Gary Stu carnage and more gems like these. Show us why this world is worth fighting (and fighting and fighting) for.

And we need some actual change to come out of all these pages. Roran's love soothes his anxiety over his battlefield casualities by opining that he'd be evil only if he actually enjoyed killing. Later - whaddaya know - Roran DOES come to love killing, quite enthusiastically, but the book forgets to look at him any differently. Eragon makes a few crucial mistakes in dwarfland due to arrogance and petulance, but he is still lavishly praised from here to Valinor. Nasuada endures a (naturally) bloody duel for leadership of the rebel faction, yet she is viewed no differently by her people afterward. Murtagh's horrific tragedy, the king who hosts the rebel Varden yet resents being pushed to the sidelines in his own country, the new hot elf guardsman who's really a lion-type furry and whose musk gets all the females...er, in heat - nothing comes of any of it. (The waste of Murtagh, who now apparently exists only to be ruthlessly dispatched, is particularly criminal.) C'mon, Rowling introduced and destroyed seven whole Horcruxes in the same space! Pick a story and develop it!

Also, are we gonna SEE Galbatorix before this series ends? There is an evil EMPEROR in this evil empire, correct?

Enough sarcasm, though. Again, it's senseless to waste your life hating these books as some do, all anti-Shur'tugal; better simply to move on to other stories. Myself, I just wish someone would guide Paolini - edit him down, focus him - so the rest of us got more out of his talent.

A satisfying fantasy adventure tale, September 20, 2008
I enjoyed the first two books of this series, and was eager to read the third. I won't outline the plot, because you can find that elsewhere. I will just tell you what I think about this book.

It is an enjoyable read, and a worthy third installment to the series. I thought that Eragon was a very good story, and Eldest not quite as good, although Paolini's writing had improved. Brisingr is the best of the three. I fell back into the story right away, and I found myself caring about the characters, even worrying about their safety. This is what I look for in fiction: it made me want to pick up the book every chance I got. If it interferes with the rest of my life, it is a very good book. Brisingr is one of those books. I am thankful to my son that he recommended this series to me.

Some reviewers of Eldest were very critical of the fact that the plot is derivative of other epics, like The Lord Of The Rings or Star Wars. I didn't mind this in the least. It is the tale of a hero's journey, complete with absence, devestation and return. It is one of the oldest tales in storytelling. We already know the story, but it is the storytelling that makes it good or bad. Paolini is a good writer. Not as great as Tolkein or LeGuin, but good nevertheless. I was able to suspend my inner critic, and enjoy the read. I recommend that you do the same.

This should have been the final book., September 21, 2008
I was disappointed when I first heard some months ago that the Inheritance trilogy would, in fact, become longer. Part of me wonders if the 4th book wont also end up being too long, and needing to be split. Eragon certainly has more to do now than he did at the end of Eldest, and Paolini has made it clear that whenever Eragon swears an oath to someone, we're going to devote a whole lot of time to watching him do it. Given that Eragon swears a new oath every 50 pages or so (give or take), it may be a while before he gets caught up.

I have long since given up on the tiresome fantasy series of Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, and the like as I noticed that after about the 3rd or 4th book, nothing new happens. A series should be short, maintain our attention, and always keep in mind the primary conflict between hero and villian.

Books one and two of the Inheritance cycle did this. At the end of Eldest, Eragon has three things that need be done, fulfill his promise to Roran, return to Oromis, and defeat Galbatorix. The first of those is finished in the early pages of the book, but from there, we spiral away from the story and into tiresome cliche. Eragon spends pages moaning and groaning about how he has been forced to kill, but it never amounts to anything. Eragon and Roran spend pages pontificating at each other in conversations that make each of them sound as though they were raised in the hearts of academia, rather than on the farm.

As an aside, the characters talk way too much in this book. For pages. One wonders when they pause to take breath. Even other characters notice this "He certainly talks alot." says Saphira at one point. Yes, I suppose he does. But then, so do you, my dear blue dragon. So do you...

As for the plot, what is there to say? Of the three tasks Eragon had at the beginning, two are completed. But with much else along the way. Eragon visits and then leaves a mysterious hermit who'se only purpose in the book is so we wont be surprised again when he shows up next time, no doubt to give Eragon a crucial piece of information. We spend page after page waiting for the dwarves to elect the ruler we all know well in advance will be elected in a process that isn't the least bit interesting. One hopes that the elected leader is able to cut through the red tape.

We learn things about Eragon's father that don't suprise us in the least, and even dissapoint us, as they make Eragon a far less interesting character, and free him completely of the guilt that was the sole characteristic making him interesting. Galbatorix's and Murtagh's inexplicable strength is explained using a plot device that I'm sure Paolini developed only after making his two villians untouchably strong. And when Glaedr gives Eragon a gift towards the end, I knew it would mean only one thing.

This should have been the final book.

But instead of the planning and fighting against the forces of the empire, we get Eragon brooding whether or not he should eat meat or starve to death. (He eats the meat, but feels real bad about it.) Instead of studying new spells and magic, Eragon asks an Urgal for a bedtime story. And instead of a climactic battle between Eragon and Galbatorix, we get a deeper insight into the dwarven political arena than is needed or even wanted.

At this point, I'm invested in the series, however, and I await the fourth (but will it be the final?) book with the same anticipation as I await a trip to the dentist, or the DMV. It's just one of those things you don't really look forward to, except for the feeling of relief when it's all over.

Get Paolini a Better Editor, October 11, 2008
I read the author's notes at the back of the book before I started and that's where I learned that this book would have been much longer had not an editor worked with Paolini to trim it down.

Time to fire that editor and hire one who will actually do the job.

Paolini's writing and the attendant lack of a competent editor remind me of what happened with Tom Clancy's books: A halfway decent story gets buried in all sorts of bad writing. If it's not the minutiae of how a sword is made (reminded me of one of Clancy's little side-trips in how to make a submarine quiet), it's the endless repetition of information that has already been introduced and death-by-hackneyed-phrases. Really, a simple search and delete of the overused phrase "waking dream" and oft-repeated references to the trial of long blades will likely reduce this book by about 50 pages. Then cut out the gratuitous meandering into useless subplots (such as the cult execution scene at the beginning, dwarf politics, Roran's integration into the Varden warriers, three paragraphs of description every time Saphira needs to poke her head into something small) and Paolini could have hit the salient plot points *and* finished this epic all within 350 pages.

It's a ponderously long and winded tale that doesn't add significantly to what was already known, and then snatches away the payoff by needing another 700-page tome to finish the tale. None of this would be as bothersome if the writing were actually good.

When I first read Eragon and criticized it for these same failings, my friends said, "He's a young author and this is a great achievement for someone in his teens." OK, I'll buy that. But it's been six years since Eragon was published. One would think the boy wonder had actually learned better writing and story telling skills in the intervening years. If nothing else, some one at Knopf should have assigned a competent editor to rein in the ceaseless blather.

A huge disappointment, October 12, 2008
If I had realized when I picked up this book that it wasn't the final installment, I wouldn't have bought it. I loved Paolini's first book, his second was a bore (but had a brief bright spot of action and conflict at the end), and this third installment was just as bad as the second. When I finished the final page of book three only to find out I have to wait for a book four to discover how it ends, I was extremely annoyed.

In his acknowledgments, Paolini says he expanded the series to four books because Brisngr ended up being more complex than he expected. The truth is, he just needed a good editor. The story isn't as much complex as it is BORING. The author provides thousands of utterly useless facts, conversations, and actions. At one point in the book he points out that one of the characters is long winded. Unfortunately, it's true of the author himself.

This could easily have been the final book (and should have been). The story does have a few, brief bright spots when the action heats up. And the author has some creative ideas. But there are only about 150 pages of worthwhile reading and they do not make up for the other 600 pages of drivel. If the author had used the other 600 pages to actually tell the story, then this book could have wrapped up the series.

I feel like I've been cheated. I won't be buying the fourth book and I can't recommend this one.

All filler, no killer, December 21, 2009
Like a good number of people who've reviewed this book, I'm a writer who's hoping to get a fantasy novel published. Along the way, I've purchased and read my way through a lot of fiction to train myself; "Brisingr" is, by far, the most important book I've read since I first began my training.

When I bought this, I told myself, "I don't care if it's good or bad. I just want to learn something from it." At a gut level I knew it would be disappointing. I sensed it when I first picked up the book and held it in my hands. It's more than a year later, and it's taken me this long to read through the book twice, and I still don't remember most of what happened in the book.

But here's the truth: It was a purchase I'm proud of.

I've read hundreds of reviews of the book and at least a thousand of the entire Inheritance Cycle, and I've come across a lot of great advice. But nothing has helped me more than actually struggling through the book. By reading it word for word, I got to step into Paolini's shoes and understand his thought processes as he wrote the book. As a result, it's taught me some things to keep in mind as I write fiction. Here are a few that tie into my issues with "Brisingr":


1) Eragon is worsening as a character. I can't get around it. The more I read his dialogue, the more I can't stand him. There's nothing that I can relate to. There's nothing I can admire. There's nothing that makes me want to keep reading about him. Of course, he still has to defeat King Galbatorix, but there's nothing else in his life or personality that I can fall back on. Every word out of his mouth sounds forced: the more I read his dialogue, the more he sounds like Paolini instead of like a fresh, original character with a mind of his own.

This happens because Eragon was poorly developed right from the get-go. He's simply a stock superhero. Most of his plot's substance was spent on the first two books, and now he's trying to take care of loose ends in the third book. The seven promises don't have anything to do with killing King Galbatorix and the Ra'zac; they instead have to do with a massive trudge through dwarf gods, Alaga�sian politics, and people bowing in his presence. All this could have been interesting if Eragon were a stronger character. But he wasn't created to deal with all of that. He was created to defeat an evil king with the help of his dragon. As long as he's a stock superhero, he needs to stay a stock superhero, and the pros and cons of such a life need to be fleshed out in their entirety.

Paolini said that the book's main storyline featuring Eragon was too large to fit into the volume, so he split the book into two volumes so that Eragon (and the rest of the cast) could grow more. Aside from my disbelief, there's a problem with that logic: a published book should never be spent with an author trying to figure his characters out. Doing this brings the story to a dead-stop. What happens is that the author engineers a story instead of losing himself in it. It's always better to create good characters and storyworld elements before you write. The sooner it happens, the sooner the characters and world will take on lives of their own. What ends up happening is that the characters create events and conflict on their own. Characters should determine plot, not the other way around.

To me, Eragon has always been a case of being a product of the plot. He was created to be the one who takes down the evil king. But what if more time were spent crafting Eragon's history and personality? Perhaps he wouldn't have been an orphaned farmboy. He could have been nobility, the son of a soldier, or a scholar. Maybe he wouldn't have been born with magical abilities. He could have been compassionate, or funny, or a kid who never wants to grow up. But the plot that Paolini created doesn't allow room for possibilities like that. Plots never do. Eragon is so locked into his plot that he never had room to change. It would probably give the story a facelift if Eragon were to say, "I'm done going after Galbatorix. I want to do what I really want to do! The Varden can handle this." But because of how much Paolini crafted his plot first and foremost, that just won't happen.


2) The writing is weak. This has been debated long after the cows have come home, but here's my two cents' worth. After reading "Brisingr," I've realized that writing style ties directly into content and characters. If you have strong characters and a well-developed storyworld, then you've already saved yourself the trouble of figuring out what they are, and you can spend more time (and less effort) telling a story. In other words, the stronger your content and characters, the stronger the writing style is likely to be.

Like both books before it, "Brisingr" suffers from the same cast of weak characters and the same derivative, underdeveloped storyworld. As a result, Paolini has to word and re-word the smallest details to make something seem original. This makes the details more important than the story and the characters. Details shouldn't obscure what you're trying to say; otherwise, they take the clarity and power out of the sentences they fill. Too many details sacrifice clarity, emotion, and substance. If you don't have good characters and settings to use, details are all you can use.

Paolini knows that the picture you paint for your audience is all about the details, but it's the sheer number of them that makes the book so bloated. There are so many details that it's a struggle to find out what he's trying to say. The content that lies beneath the details is just not there. Details are important only as long as they're based on good content. They have to contribute directly to the story, the characters, and the picture that the audience is seeing painted. The level of details can mean the difference between enjoying a painting from a distance and looking at it through a magnifying glass. In other words, which is better: looking at the brush strokes or looking at the whole picture?


3) For all its length, it doesn't get to the point. It takes way too long to get to anything remotely important or interesting, and most of the time, those interesting points never come. "Brisingr" and its sequel could fit into the same 750-page book; you can cut out most of what happens in this book and not lose any important details. If anything, it would benefit the book. The faster that the characters go toward their goals, the faster you get to the heart of the story. The old clich� is the best: "Just cut to the chase."

Both "Eragon" and "Eldest" had their share of filler--a lot of traveling in "Eragon" and a lot of training in "Eldest"--but "Brisingr" was the worst. Eragon spent so much time trying to fulfill his list of promises that it kept him (and us) from seeing him fulfill his main goal: going after the people who killed his family and destroyed his home. That's what the story's supposed to be about, and every character and subplot should reinforce it.


I have to give the book at least one star because it's helped me understand some of the things to avoid when writing fiction. Still, I feel like a two-star rating is generous. "Brisingr" was a great training tool but a disappointing entertainment; it was a bore from start to finish. If this indicates how Book 4 will be, I won't buy it. There's only so much I can support a book series and feel rewarded by it.

It's tough for me to praise this book, especially since I had such a struggle reading it through twice. The few highlights of this book are a poor reward for more than seven hundred pages of filler. Paolini needs an editor who will show him the things that make a good story. There's no excuse for his age anymore. When you publish anything, it's not your age or your accomplishments that matter most. It's the story that matters most. I would rather read the seven pages that mean something than the seven hundred that don't.

Zip this book please Mr Paolini, October 10, 2008
This book is as slow as a tortoise with arthritis, and at the end of the painful slow-march you realize you haven't moved much, from where you stopped in Eldest. It is painfully obvious that Paolini was made to (?) prolong this series. The actual plot can be told in about 100 pages; the rest is either horribly drawn out descriptions or meaningless and repetitive conversations.

Some scenes go like this (not the actual words, but you will get the drift):

Eragon: Saphira, isn't it wrong to kill people?
Saphira: No young one, sometimes you have to do what you do, for the greater good.

Now, this is blown into a page-long dialogue where they repeat the same question and answer in passive voice, reported speech etc. I felt like stuffing Eragon into Saphira's mouth to shut them both up. When one thinks they have finally reached a consensus and the plot will move on, they move to another track:

Eragon: Saphira, I love you
Saphira: I love you too, young one.
Eragon: I can't bear to be separated from you Saphira, not even for a moment
Saphira: I can't either...
Eragon: Saphira.....
Saphira: young one....

I felt like shouting "Get a room!!!", before I remembered they were a dragon and rider, not star-crossed teenage lovers. Then, finally, the coddling was over and I started hoping again that something would happen.

Enter Arya...

Eragon: Arya, baby, how do you feel while killing someone?

I fervently wished she would show him instead of telling him :)

A children's book trying too hard to be a child/adult hybrid book, July 20, 2009
This is a difficult review to write - I basically agree with ALL of the criticism Paolini has received regarding his saga, and yet I'm compelled to continue reading it. I feel like a two-headed monster when reading the Eragon cycle - I'm simultaneously frustrated beyond belief at the writing "style," yet I continue reading in the hopes that the plot will redeem the writing. With Eragon, I think it did. Eldest, eh. Brisingr, it was just beyond all repair.

Part of me tries to pull back and say, "well, it's considered a young adult novel, it's supposed to be for kids, so I really shouldn't be expecting Shakespeare." That's basically the thought process that got me through the Twilight series, which, despite the not-so-wonderful writing, I enjoyed. However, I think the biggest difference is that when reading Twilight, you KNOW that you are reading a book meant for a 12 year old girl. Therein lies the difference between THAT sort of mediocre writing and Paolini's work: Paolini thinks he's the second coming of Tolkien. Between his own egomaniacal comments in interviews, his attempts at creating complex languages and political stirrings, and his pandering social commentaries, Paolini clearly "thinks" he's writing something more than a teen read. And, I think this is why he garners so much criticism - In the end, he simply wrote nothing more than a children's book.

His attempts to make that children's book "mature," I believe, are his downfall; in the end, he has created a book too long and boring for kids, but simply meaty enough for an adult. The characters are 2-dimensional, contrived, unsympathetic, and just unrelateable, the descriptions and gross overuse of figurative language make your eyes bleed, and the dialogue, Lord Almighty someone save the dialogue.

See example one, his description of the moment Roran fell in love with Katrina:
" `I saw Katrina stop by the side of Loring's house to pick a moss rose growing in the shade of the eaves. She smiled as she looked at the flower... It was such a tender smile, and so happy, I decided right then that I wanted to make her smile like that again and again and that I wanted to look at that smile until the day that I died.' Tears gleamed in Roran's eyes..."

From a best-selling author? Really? I'm going to assume that his inability to come even close to describing love perhaps stems from his own lack of experience with it. For more evidence, see the entire chapter dedicated to Roran and Katrina's goodbye ("Kiss Me Sweet"), which is chock full of clich�s that would drive an English teacher mad and any reader to groan.

Another big problem for me is the terribly awkward use of different stages of English in the dialogue. The "mine head," "mine friend," "mine people," etc. reminded me of broken German. The thus, thusly, thine, thy, aye's and even nay's were just plain WEIRD. You'd have a character use one of the pronouns, and then use the modern English equivalent in the same manner 2 lines later. There was no rhyme or reason, and it made the writer look precocious, and the characters stiff and unrealistic.

For another example of the highly romanticized writing, see page 69:
"Eragon was no longer capable of coherent thought, but somewhere in the back of his brain he was aware that he was about to die. It did not frighten him; to the contrary, the prospect comforted him, for he was tired beyond belief, and death would free him from the battered shell of his flesh and allow him to rest for all of eternity. From above and behind his head, there came a bumblebee as big as his thumb. It circled his ear, then hovered by the rock, probing the nodes of citrine, which were the same bright yellow as the fieldstars that bloomed among the hills. [...] The bumblebee was so vibrant, so alive, and so beautiful, its presence renewed Eragon's will to survive. A world that contained a creature as amazing as that bumblebee was a world he wanted to live in."

Really?

I believe that my review, while honest, is colored by my frustration that this is the third, and despite all of our expectations, penultimate book of the series. I never buy hardcovers, but purchased this one excited to see how the series ends. When I was about 100 pages in, I checked the Amazon site to read a review, and saw Paolini's video explaining the need for a 4th book. I was FURIOUS by the time I finished Brisingr. So many utterly pointless plotlines and political feuds, all of which were anticlimactic (spoiler - the guy or girl you "want" to win always inevitably does), so many unnecessarily loquacious descriptions, and just so much NOTHING. If you read the first 60 pages and the last 150, you honestly get everything you need from this book. So sad, but honestly, so true.

So to be completely honest, if you're like me and are irritated by the writing but enjoy the story, you truly DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK. The 200 (generous) pages worth of valid plot can (and will) be summarized at the start of the yet to be named 4th book. Or, just find it on a website. Heck, email ME. Just don't punish your eyes and brain like so many of us did by reading this 750 page tragedy.

Will I read the 4th book? Yes. Will I buy it? Unfortunately, no. The reason why is simply this: I feel cheated. Had Paolini delivered a 3rd book that introduced some new meaty plot that warranted turning a trilogy to a cycle, I'd be okay with a fourth book, perhaps would be excited by it. Instead, I just feel cheated and that both Paolini and his publishers wanted to eek out some more money from the franchise. And that, well, just makes me mad.

Dismal at best, October 10, 2008
As written by another reviewer "If you liked the Lord of the Rings series, then you'll probably like the Inheritance cycle as well."

Actually, The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a wonderful, well-written trilogy. This fantasy series is in essence a great first showing (Eragon) with an okay sophomoric offering (Eldest) and a dismal current contender (Brisingr).

I hope that this was more the fault of the publishers than Paolini's own writing. In many places the writing actually made me cringe and want to break out my red editing pen of death, ex. "Pointing with her chin past a row of spits and cauldrons suspended over a bed of coals, past a clump of men butchering a hog, past three makeshift ovens built of mud and stone, and past a pile of kegs toward a line of planks set on stumps that six women were using as a counter."

Yes folks, that is one, very long and exhaustive run-on sentence. Why they couldn't be bothered with proper grammar and punctuation we will probably not know.

I see no use of dramatic suspense in bridging chapters, or even within each chapter. Most of the dramatic scenes seem forced, almost as if the characters are being coached by a high school drama teacher from behind the curtain, "Now in this scene Eragon, you feel ANGER. Show me your anger, be a tiger and let it all out!"

All in all, I wish I hadn't picked up this book, because now I feel obligated to read the (nearly assuredly) fourth book of the series.

Pretentious, Poorly Written, and incessant driveling, October 19, 2008
Essentially, in 748 pages, Eragon did 4 things, and yet Paolini somehow couldn't fit the end of the trilogy in one book. Thus, there will be a 4th book to finish the trilogy (now called a cycle). My biggest qualm with this series not ending in 3 books, is that this book was verbose with very little action.

Eragon's 4 actions:
1) Killed the Razac- this took about 60 pages
2) Visit Tronjiheim to hurry the dwarves in picking their king
3) Went to Ellesmera (for a 2 day conversation)
4) Flew to Feinster for a battle

Actions 3 and 4 occurred in the last 150 pages, and because Eragon agreed to support Orik, he spent most of action 2 wandering around the tunnels, gettng attacked once, and moaning about missing Saphira. The rest of the text usually involved a lot of transit...Eragon running (whoohoo), Eragon and Saphira flying against strong headwinds, and flying in good weather. Perhaps Paolini thinks this transit time is important and interesting due to the long travel sequences in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but first, that was a series about a journey...therefore travel is necessary, this series is about war more than anything else, and second, Tolkien was a much much more gifted writer than Paolini.

Also, Paolini stated in is excuse for not finishing the series in 3 books, that this gave him an opportunity to explore the characters. However, Eragon's incessant moaning over the ethics of killing and the difference in his morals from those of elves, isn't what I would call an interesting expose into the minds of Eragon and the other characters. In fact, it only leads the reader to realize that Eragon is indeed a whiny child, given far too much authority because a dragon hatched to him...but that more than anything, the author expects us to believe Eragon to be an upstanding ethical person who we should all exalt as the best person to lead because he fears it.

I have always found Paolini's writing pretentious, but it seems to have only gotten worse with his success. The only reason for the success of his series is the more than fortunate timing of the "Lord of the Rings" films and "Harry Potter" series generating a boom in interest in fantasy...however this series cannot compare to either of those. Tolkien and "Harry Potter" fans will find The Inheritance Cycle superficial, unimaginitive, poorly written, and lacking in action.

The similarities, such as 3 young unknowing people thrown into the wars of previous generations, are not enough to make the Inheritance Cycle a satisfying read...which is only more frustrating because it doesn't end when it is supposed to- and unlike the other LOTR and HP series'- you very much want this one to end. ... Read more

Editorial Review

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’snothing left to live for. No more kisses. Nomore secrets. No more gossip. It’s enoughto kill a girl all over again. But I’m about toget something no one else does—an encoreperformance, thanks to Emma, the long-losttwin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know whathappened to me. And the only way to figureit out is to be me—to slip into my old lifeand piece it all together. But can she laughat inside jokes with my best friends? Convincemy boyfriend she’s the girl he fell inlove with? Pretend to be a happy, carefreedaughter when she hugs my parents goodnight? And can she keep up the charade,even after she realizes my murderer iswatching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books,comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, andkiller consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

Editorial Review

Behind Rosewood's grand façades, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5 and infinity pools sparkle in landscaped backyards, nothing is as it seems. It was here, back in seventh grade, that five best friends shared everything—Seven jeans, MAC makeup, and their deepest, darkest secrets. For Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, it was a dream come true . . . until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished.

Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare. Emily has been shipped off to her hyper-conservative cousins in Iowa. Aria is stuck living with her dad and his home-wrecker girlfriend. And Spencer fears she had something to do with Alison's murder. But Hanna's fate is far worse than all of that—she's clinging to life in the hospital, because she knew too much.

With A's threats turning dangerous and Ali's killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth—about A, about Ali, and about what happened to Hanna—before they become A's next victims. But as they unravel Rosewood's mysteries and secrets, will it bring an end to the horror . . . or is this just the beginning?

Reviews

A jaw-dropping conclusion to an 'unbelievable' series!, May 27, 2008
It seems like only yesterday that Hanna Marin, Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Emily Fields were carefree, fun-loving seventh graders at posh private school Rosewood Day. Planning sleepovers, gossiping about boys, braiding each others hair, sharing secrets. But like the flip of a switch, everything changed. Ali mysteriously disappeared, and the four other girls parted ways. That was years ago. Now the mysterious "A" has dredged up the past once more; barraging Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily with painful memories of the past via text messages. It's obvious that "A" is Ali's killer; but if the girls tell, one of them will be the next to die.

Hanna Marin has always been so full of life. Shopping as much as possible, prancing around in sky-high platforms, and perusing fashion and gossip websites to get her daily fix of all things celebrity. Seeing her lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, bruises dotting her face, in a coma seems completely out of the ordinary. Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields know Hanna, and this isn't her. But it is a reminder of just how close "A" truly is to them; and how "A's" threats are absolutely true. But Hanna isn't the only one in turmoil at the moment.

Emily Fields has suddenly been shunned by her family. The fact that she has come out of the closet, so to speak, shames her parents, and even her sister, and has landed her on a one way trip to Iowa to live with her strict aunt and uncle, along with their children. Iowa seems like the worst place on earth. But some of the people there are actually pretty cool; and very into Emily.

Spencer Hastings has finally come to the realization that she has black-outs at times, and can't help but wonder if she is the one responsible for Ali's death. With the Golden Orchid competition coming up, however, Spencer has no time to think about the past - only the future. After stealing her older sister's essay, and having it nominated for the Golden Orchid, Spencer can't believe that her family is supporting her in this competition. But it's up to her to do them proud. Too bad she has a strange feeling that somehow, her lying, stealing, cheating ways are going to come back to haunt her.

Aria Montgomery wants nothing more than to be with her older teacher, Ezra. But after "A" spilled the beans about Aria and Ezra's little affair to Aria's boyfriend, that's impossible. Suddenly, Ezra is under scrutiny, and Aria has been cast out of her temporary living space. The only thing left for her to do is to turn to her cheating father, Byron, and his artsy girlfriend, Meredith. But turning to the two of them is right up there with selling your soul to the devil, and Aria doesn't know if she's ready to do something so drastic.

It seems like decades since I completed PERFECT, and finally UNBELIEVABLE is here. Sara Shepard has outdone herself with this fabulous fourth book. After the cliffhanger in PERFECT, I didn't know that it would be possible for Ms. Shepard to concoct an even more perfect conclusion; but she has done just that. The suspense found in UNBELIEVABLE is, quite possibly, greater than any of the three previous books. Each word peaks the reader's interest, and with each page read, you can't help but find yourself dying to find out what will happen next. A jaw-dropping conclusion to an UNBELIEVABLE series!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Simply...unbelievable!, June 2, 2008
Being an avid fan of the previous three books, I eagerly awaited "Unbelievable." When I finally got it, I devoured the book in one day!

Ms. Shepard's writing is excellent like always, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep you reading til the end. I thought I had figured out who A was several times in the beginning, but none of those theories were correct.

That being said, I figured out who A was right before the girls did, so that reveal wasn't as shocking as I hoped. However, the ending pages were filled with unresolved storylines and plot twists that left me on the edge of my seat.

I would definitely recommend this book, and the whole series, to anyone.

The End... or is it?, December 21, 2008
The answer is obviously not, as there are four more books in the series. When it was first put out this book was supposed to be the last, but the author agreed to put out more due to pressure from the publisher. (Thanks publishers!)

The now not so fab four have all new problems on their hands. Emily has been sent out to the country, only to find that her problems will follow her wherever she goes. Hanna's still in a coma, but will she still remember A's identity when she wakes up? Aria's trying to piece not only her life together, but also the pieces to the enigma that is A. Meanwhile Spencer still hasn't learned her lessons about cheating or forbidden fruit- lucky for her, A is an ever patient tutor in those matters...


I liked this book for the most part. I agree with many reviewers who felt that A's identity seemed a bit rushed & anti-climactic, so I was relieved that there were 4 more books in the series. This means that while you know who was A, there was undoubtedly someone in the back pulling the strings ensuring that "A" discovered the right secrets and sent the right texts. That being said, I was glad to finally see the humanity in many of the families. The whole "mean, ruthless, and competitive" thing made for good reading for a while, but it wasn't entirely believable that everyone would turn their backs on their kids. Whether that will continue into the next book is anyone's guess, but it was still nice to see that some of the parents really cared for their kids' well being.

4.9/5

WOW......, June 27, 2010
This book was amazing. Sara shepard definitely knows how to keep you in suspense. I am so glad that there are four more books after this one. I can't get enough of this series. The ending was unexpected. Even with A being revealed, you still can't help but wonder who else may be involved. There are also many more secrets to be revealed. The characters also start dusting off memories that they have tried so hard to forget. They then start realizing that these memories are all part of A bigger puzzle. I highly recommend reading this book if you are into suspense. You might want to have book five on hand to get started immediately after you finish this book. I have been plowing through these books. I can't put them down.

A Drama Filled Suspense!, November 26, 2008

Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily are back, some in better state than others, and ready to bring down A. When we last left the pristine Rosewood Hanna had just discovered who A was, but she knew too much and A made sure she couldn't say anything by "accidentally" hitting her with a car. Now as Hanna fights for her life, the other three girls have to clean up the mess that A has made.

Spencer finally remembers what happened the night of Ali's death and what she remembers isn't good. Could she really have killed Ali? Not only does she have to deal with the thought that she could have really killed her best friend but she's got to reason with the guilt of stealing her sister's AP Economics paper which got Spencer nominated for an award her sister should have won. With the feeling that A is constantly breathing down her back will Spencer be able to keep her cool composure or will she finally pop?

After A let it leak that Emily likes girls, Emily's been living on the edge of sanity. Her parents don't know what to do with her so they send her off to her hyper conservative relatives in Middle of Nowhere Iowa. When she arrives Emily knows she won't last long, then she meets Trista, an interesting girl who seems to understand Emily and doesn't mind talking to her. Will Emily last, or will she flee back to Rosewood and hope that she is accepted by those who love her most?

Aria's been kicked out of her mother's house after her mom found out Aria had been keeping the secret of her father's affair a secret for the past three years. Once again we have A to thank for unveiling this bit of information. With nowhere else to go Aria moves in with her father and horrifyingly peppy girlfriend Meredith. All Aria wants is for her life to go back to normal. When she starts an art class over at the neighborhood college her partner is none other than Jenna Cavanaugh, the girl who was the terrible victim of a nasty prank that Aria was a part of. Can Aria ever escape her past or will it keep catching up with her?

Then there's Hanna who really is hanging on for dear life. She can't remember anything from the night of the accident, especially the identity of A. The rest of the group doesn't want to pressure her too much, but they really want to know who A is. If this isn't enough Hanna has to deal with her feelings for Lucas. She remembers hanging out with him a couple of times, but that's it. It seems though that a lot more happened. Will Hanna be able to get her memory back and solve they mystery of who A really is?


This has always been a favorite series of mine. I mean who can resist the scandalous secrets of others, especially of those who live in Rosewood? Unbelievable completely blew all three of the books out of the water. It could almost be a stand alone book if all the information we learn in the preceding books wasn't crucial to the plot.

It seems that the author finally became comfortable with the characters in this book. The characters felt like real people and some of their issues became more realistic. I also felt that it was much easier to relate the characters in this book. They didn't seem as stuck up and it was easier to like them. In my opinion this is a particularly important part of a book because if you can't relate then it's hard to actually imagine the feelings that the characters in the story have. While, in my opinion, this was a weakness in the other books the author has completely redeemed herself with this installment of the series.

The plot itself was great. Suspense has a totally different meaning to me now! At no point did I find myself knowing what would come next. I eagerly turned the pages hoping to devour more secrets and uncover more answers. The author did a great job hanging the identity of A over our heads until the final chapters of the book. And just as you thought you knew who killed Ali, wham the author threw another curveball at you. Before I had even started the book I had known that A would be uncovered in this book and was truly wondering how the story would continue afterwards as there will be a total of eight books. I found that as some answers were told more questions surfaced. Again the author left us with too many questions left unanswered. Now I simply cannot wait for the fifth book. In the meantime though I urge you to pick up this book as it is simply impossible to put it down.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 4, 2008
Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily are back, some in a better state than others, and ready to bring down A. When we last left the pristine Rosewood, Hanna had just discovered who A was, but she knew too much and A made sure she couldn't say anything by "accidentally" hitting her with a car. Now, as Hanna fights for her life, the other three girls have to clean up the mess that A has made.

Spencer finally remembers what happened the night of Ali's death and what she remembers isn't good. Could she really have killed Ali? Not only does she have to deal with the thought that she could have really killed her best friend, but she's got to reason with the guilt of stealing her sister's AP Economics paper, which got Spencer nominated for an award her sister should have won. With the feeling that A is constantly breathing down her back, will Spencer be able to keep her
cool composure, or will she finally pop?

After A let it leak that Emily likes girls, Emily's been living on the edge of sanity. Her parents don't know what to do with her, so they send her off to her ultra-conservative relatives in Middle of Nowhere, Iowa. When she arrives, Emily knows she won't last long -- then she meets Trista, an interesting girl who seems to understand Emily and doesn't mind talking to her. Will Emily last, or will she flee back to Rosewood and hope that she is accepted by those who love her most?

Aria's been kicked out of her mother's house after her mom found out she had been keeping the fact of her father's affair a secret for the past three years. Once again, we have A to thank for unveiling this bit of information. With nowhere else to go, Aria moves in with her father and his horrifyingly peppy girlfriend, Meredith. All Aria wants is for her life to go back to normal. When she starts an art class over at the neighborhood college her partner is none other than Jenna Cavanaugh, the
girl who was the terrible victim of a nasty prank that Aria was a part of. Can Aria ever escape her past or will it keep catching up with her?

Then there's Hanna, who really is hanging on for dear life. She can't remember anything from the night of the accident, especially the identity of A. The rest of the group doesn't want to pressure her too much, but they really want to know who A is. If this isn't enough, Hanna has to deal with her feelings for Lucas. She remembers hanging out with him a couple of times, but that's it. It seems, though, that a lot more happened. Will Hanna be able to get her memory back and solve the mystery of who A really is?

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS has always been a favorite series of mine. I mean, who can resist the scandalous secrets of others, especially of those who live in Rosewood? UNBELIAVALBLE completely blew all three of the previous books out of the water. It could almost be a stand-alone book if all the information we learn in the preceding books wasn't crucial
to the plot.

It seems that the author finally became comfortable with the characters in this book. They felt like real people and some of their issues became more realistic. I also felt that it was much easier to relate the characters in this installment. They didn't seem as stuck up and it was easier to like them. In my opinion, this is a particularly important part of a book, because if you can't relate then it's hard to actually imagine the feelings that the characters in the story have. While I think this was a weakness in the other books, the author has completely redeemed herself with this addition to the series.

The plot itself was great. Suspense has a totally different meaning to me now! At no point did I find myself knowing what would come next. I eagerly turned the pages hoping to devour more secrets and uncover more answers. The author did a great job hanging the identity of A over our heads until the final chapters of the book. And just as you thought you knew who killed Ali, wham!, the author threw another curveball at you. Before I had even started the book I had known that A would be uncovered in this book and was truly wondering how the story would continue afterwards, as there will be a total of eight books. I found that as some answers were told more questions surfaced. Again, the author left us with too many questions left unanswered.

Now I simply cannot wait for the fifth book. In the meantime, I urge you to pick up UNBELIEVABLE, as it is simply impossible to put it down.

Reviewed by: Tasha

The end..., July 26, 2008
This review will be as spoiler-free as I can make it, also I'm writing about the series as a whole, not just book 4.

Okay guys, I'm not gonna lie, I LOVED the first three books:
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars #2: Flawless (Pretty Little Liars)
Pretty Little Liars #3: Perfect (Pretty Little Liars)
you MUST read each of these books in order or the story wont make any sense. The first three books set up a murder/stalker mystery that gets solved at the end of this 4th book.

There are 4 main characters/storylines that are interconnected with each other and unlike other teen series where there is one star and several back-up dancers, in this book Sara Shepard makes sure that all 4 of her main characters get equal time and interesting storylines. Each of the 4 girls could have held her own in her own book just with the backstory, auxillary characters and the plot that Sara gave her. Sara gives her characters real depth and flaws so that you can't really love them or hate them but you still wanna know what they're gonna do next.

I'll be honest, even though I'm giving this final book 5 stars, I was a bit disappointed at the ending. I suppose I was expecting something spectacular and way over the top (OMG ALISON COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD! LOL j/k) the payoff just wasn't where I personally wanted it to be, but then again I was literally speed-reading to get to the ending so, I think I will change my mind once I sit down and read all 4 books again in a row.

I've been with this series since PLL#1 came out in 2006 and it was an unbearable wait between books. I always had to pre-order them to make sure I got them the moment they came out and I have them all in hard cover. They are very colorful and pretty, if it means anything, they look nice on your bookshelf.

Usually I'm very blabbly and spoilery in my reviews so I'm sorry that I'm not being like that in this one, I just don't wanna ruin the ending for you guys! I wouldn't write a review at all but I gotta give this series 5 stars and give Sara Shepard her props, it's kept me interested and excited since 2006 and that's pretty tough!

I hope Sara keeps writing and comes out with an even better series soon and I hope this review was at least a little bit helpful for you. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sugar and Spice . . . Not everyone's nice.

Fresh from being betrayed by one of her closest friends, new reality-television celebrity Jane Roberts has learned a few lessons. Most important: know who to trust. And inHollywood, that list is short.

Her best friend, Scarlett, has only one guy on her mind: her new boyfriend, Liam. The girl who once thought love was a four-letter word is now head over heels. The problem is, being ona hit reality show means hanging out with other guys on-camera, and Liam isn’t too happy with pretending to play a bit part in her love life.

Just when everything feels out of control, Jane makes a shocking discovery—one that changes everyone’s definition of “reality” forever.

In her deliciously entertaining novel, television star Lauren Conrad pulls back the curtain on young Hollywood and shows that sometimes the real drama is behind the scenes.

Editorial Review

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where Burberry earmuffs keep diamond-studded ears warm, four very pretty girls have done some very wicked things. . . .

High school juniors Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria have paid dearly for their sins. A stalker named "A" terrorized them for months and revealed their darkest secrets. But now that A's true identity has been revealed, the girls can finally go back to their pretty little lives.

Only, once a pretty little liar, always a pretty little liar—and these girls just can't help but be bad. Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood's queen bee. Spencer starts stealing . . . from her parents. Emily can't stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom's taste in men.

As the secrets get darker and the scandals juicier, the consequences turn deadly. After all, girls who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And in Rosewood, someone is always watching. . . .

Editorial Review

This deluxe edition of the runaway international bestseller includes:
·A sneak peek at Book III
·An exclusive, full-color foldout poster of Glaedr by award-winning artist John Jude Palencar
·A revealing excerpt of the history of Alagaësia
·Never-before-seen art by the author, including an image of Brom’s elf ring
·A complete and comprehensive list of people, places, things, and dwarf clans

Darkness falls. . . . Swords clash. . . . Evil reigns.

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspiring new places and people, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and Eragon isn’t sure whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall–one that puts Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews

Solid, but easily forgettable..., September 25, 2005
This "Inheritance" trilogy has inspired more animosity then I have seen in a very long time. Their is litterally a great divide here, with many hailing Paolini as the next Tolkien, while others say that he will be the downfall of fantasy literature. Personally, I think BOTH sides are giving him way to much credit.
Let's start off with the pro-Paolini crew. I honestly have to wonder if you have actually read any other fantasy novels out there. If you have, you will notice that Eldest is saturated with cliches which Paolini attempts to hide by calling his work 'archetypal.' The attempt at portraying true love is laughable at best with the protagonist litterally calling a girl "as beautiful as a flower." That type of stuff makes me cringe. It seems to me that Paolini doesn't get his writing from real life experience, but instead from the many different authors that he has read before. Without experience, the emotions of Eldest come out as regurgetated garbage. I do not need to delve to deeply into the storyline itself for that has been mentioned numerous times before. I will say though that Paolini has got away with plagiarism. He copied names of places and towns, people, and plots by tweaking them only slightly so as to get away with it. For an avid reader, he fails at sneaking that theivery by us. It stuck out with each new page that I read. I must also say that I am dissapointed that Paolini failed to add anything original to the fantasy genre. Everything he wrote about HAS been used before; everything. That takes the excitement from the book.
Another problem I have is Paolini's arrogance. In reviewing himself, he said "I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best, and Seamus Henney's translation of Beowulf." That is ridiculous. Plagiraism doesn't put you on the same plane as the one you stole it from. HIs arrognace can also be seen with the agenda's that he peppers into the book, such as the assertion that eating meat is barbaric and that the human race is a collection of bumbling idiots. To top it all off, he feels the need to use obscure words to make himself feel smarter then he really is. I have no problem with a big vocabulary, IF the words fit in the context they are used and if they help get a certain point across. HIs words just feel awkward and take away from the flow of the reading. In conclusion, I find Paolini to be a literary thief who hides and sells his book with his age, rather then any particular merits.
At the same time, I think the anti-Paolini groups are taking thier opinions way overboard. Sure the story is horrible and contrived and rittled with cliches, but you are all giving him way to much credit. I have read some reviews that say he will be the ruin of children's literature. To me, that's a bit extreme. I see the Inheritance trilogy as a fad fueled by the vaccum created by the last Harry Potter book. When this seriies is over with, it will be forgotten and a new writer will emerge. For all of you vehement anti-Paolini people, you are feeding right into Pailoni's niche and are, by some degree, the reason why his book is so popular. Debate and conflict is one of the greatest marketing tools available. I also want to add that some of these negative reviews are a bit exxagerated. It's a mediocre book, (at best), but you must take it as it is. Although I am discusted at how much Paolini stole, I must reluctantly commend him for getting som many young kids to read. He succeeded in that regard and I can only hope that it will inspire people to read books of a higher quality.
I must say that all this attention is a bit baffling. It doesn't seem like it warrants it in any way, from any viewpoint. I will read the last installment of the trilogy for the sole purpose of a closure to what has been a strange ride. As a positve, I will say that Paolini has imroved since Eragon, although his style needs a lot of fine tuning and work. The Inheritance Trilogy is a rebound for Harry Potter. If you are going to buy it, know what it is you are reading and take it as it is. Don't expect any powerful revelations or philosophical intrigue, but maybe that was intended. Until the next book, I sign off. Thank you for reading my review.

Please don't Preach., September 27, 2006
Maybe you can chalk it up to second book let down, but this was far weaker than Eragon, slow moving and verbose like there was a word count to fulfill. The part that bothered me was the attempt to say that the lowest bug and man were in reality of the same value. This on it's face may be likened to the beliefs of Hinduism, but that too is crushed by the assertion that anyone that is really enlightened does not believe in God. The book also states that one who is enlightened will not eat the flesh of another living being. It then goes on to give plants a low level of awareness, I wonder why the enlightened are allowed to eat at all.

Very...dry, April 28, 2006
I found Paolini's books to be dry stories. They lack any real flavor. I know that calling Inheritance cliched is a cliche in itself, but it's true. You can have an "archetypal hero story" without it being a cliche. Look at Stephen King's Dark Tower, for instance. What makes a good epic fantasy writer is the ability to take an archetype and add something new to it or present it in a new and refreshing way.

Another dry part of the book is all the minor characters, like Elessari, Nari, and that dwarf named Svrrg-something. These characters have absolutely no personality (though the same could be said of the main characters), much like the minor characters in the later Wheel of Time books. They are easily forgettable. I guess these are the characters that are "born out of necessity" judging from their soulessness. Though what that necessity is, I'm not sure.

And to Blah Blah Kent concerning your rather absurd review:

"you'll be shocked to see that a LOT of them (around 80%!) have only reviewed the Inheritance books, and given them both only one star each." I have a question. What's wrong with that? They read the books and didn't like them. So what?

"Also, please do note the DATES at which the reviews have been sumbitted" What about the dates? Were you going somewhere with this, or did you hit the Submit button too early?

I don't know about you, but I only bother to review really bad books like Eragon and Eldest. It's no so bad if people think a good book is bad but it pains me to see so many people calling a bad book good.

I could say something on the level of "Shame on you, you pathetic little..." but I won't sink that low. I'll just remind you that the Eragon "haters" are entitled to their opinions and their points are, for the most part, very well supported.

Can we get some emotion here, please? Pretty, pretty please?, May 22, 2006
You know when you read a book and find out that some character in it reminds you of someone you know? That's a cool feeling, and every time you read that book, or its sequels, you'll think of that character as that person you know, and therefore it'll feel much more lifelike to you. That's one of the marks of a good book: real characters with real problems and real ways to cope.

Eldest, though, is sorely lacking in this department. Unless you're excellent friends with a ceral box, you won't find any characters in this book that remind you of anyone you know. They're lifeless little robots whose only job in these books is to parade around Middle Earth (oops, I meant Alegaia, or however you spell that) and say, 'Aye', every ten words or so, despite being the only hope against. . .sorry about the spelling. . .Galboratrix.
Also, I don't really think that it was important to make Sapheria drunk all the time. Was that supposed to be funny, or something? Well, it wasn't. And if the dragon wasn't drunk, it was Orik. I'm having a very hard time beliving that these weirdos will save their kingdom. It would be great if they realized that they had problems and had to overcome them, but CP takes the easy way out and just makes his characters move along like robots, not questioning anything and dating hot elf chicks.
Yes, I finished the book. I never leave a book unfinished, no matter how dull. The ending is the best part of the book by far. In fact, this whole series would be much, much better if CP stopped trying to make Eragon fall in love with Arya and just made it one conflict after another. His battle scenes are the best part of his books. That's not really saying much, though.
So, why do I give it two stars? The battle scenes and Roran saved this book from a one-star rating. I look forward to seeing Roran in the third book, amazingly! He's the character I'm rooting for. As for Eragon. . .get rid of him and have Roran and Murtaugh narate! I'd be a much better book without that loser in it!
Read it with caution. If you're expecting something like Harry Potter, you're going to be very dissapointed indeed. If you're expecting something like The Prophecy of the Stones, (another book by a young author that's just a little short of being fantastic)then this book might just be okay for you.

On a side note:
[...] I just hope that people don't lose their faith in teen authors because of CP's novels.

Unoriginal, at best..., June 5, 2006
I really did enjoy the first book as I read it, but upon reflection I realized it was completely hacked, or jacked, from a bunch of other authors. For fun, I started making predictions for the "twists" in the next book, "Eldest"
I guessed correctly about Arya, Murtagh, and a whole bunch of other things...Enough to make me think, h'm'm'm, Why don't I just write the next one??
But, besides the fact that the plot and its "twists" are unoriginal at best, downright obvious at worst, there is the issue of poor characterization.
Eragon has never been a very relatable character. He gets worse in this book, becoming gasseouly inflated with the "high and intellectually noble" world of the elves, learning "ancient truths" which are not, as in usual fantasy, relatable truths (think love, truth, honor) for the reader. It's just a bunch of high-ended blowhard that makes sense if you're about ten minutes away from dropping into a REM cycle.
Arya, the "token elf-princess" (gasp! who coulda guessed that she was the elf-princess Eragon was destined to fall in love with? WHO?) is a wholly unlikable and distant ice queen. Yes, we all know she's absolutely perfect(except for that "scar along her jawline to mar her beauty"), by now. Stop lauding her. Eragon seems to like her as a goddess, an ideal, instead of a real person. Whoopsy! She is a goddess! How could we forget?
Murtagh, the only character I felt for, is seriously underused, and is in very grave danger of becoming Darth Vader. "You do not understand the power of the dark side..." "But there is good in you! I can feel it!" "No, Eragon...I am trapped..." For Murtagh fans, I have to tell you: firstly, the thing you suspected about him is true, and secondly, he appears for about the ten last pages. That's all.
The addition of Roran as a character baffled me. There was no point. Sure, there are ways to convey that the war is becoming universal without dedicating half the book to a new, annoying character. But hey, at least Roran has motivation.
Of course the alternating chapters are irritating, but after a while, you don't care what's happening either way.
I believe reviewers have already mentioned the gruesome attention to the detailed customs of every culture mentioned in the book, their language, their rituals, their opinion on Eragon, their dress, and every other thing under their sun. My younger brother mentioned that this book was written "minute-to-minute". Practically every sequence of every day is recorded. No real glossing narrative over the boring parts, even when nothing happened except Eragon was still breathing. The journey to Du Weldevarn takes about fifty pages. Nothing happened along the way except that they traveled. Not an exciting read.
But the book has a pompous way of assuming every little thing Eragon considers is a gravitous, moral truth that everyone should consider.
And in conclusion, the last shortcoming of this book is it has no sense of humor. Eragon attempts to be wry once in a while, but he really should spare himself the effort. All in all, no laughs to contrast with the tone of impending doom that permeates the entire book. And not just for those stuck reading it...

Even worse than the first book, December 10, 2005
Most authors improve as time goes on, but Christopher Paolini has gotten worse since his lamentably poor first novel "Eragon." This book, the second in the Inheritance trilogy, shows all the flaws of the first book, with even more on top.

For starters, the parallels with "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" are so blatant that it's almost funny. Oromis is a blatant Yoda clone, and Nasuda is an obvious rip-off of Eowyn. And of course, there's the "shocking" plot twist which we all saw coming from a mile off, in which it's revealed that Murtagh is Eragon's brother (identical to how Darth Vader turned out to be Luke's father...I suppose even Paolini realised that resorting to the "I am your father" clich� was one plagarism too far), followed by the phrase "Search your feelings, you know it to be true" which is taken straight from "Star Wars." Oh yes...and let's not forget Morgothar and Elessari, whose names are clear copies of Morgoth and Elessar from "Lord of the Rings." And those are just the rip-offs of two series! He's also stolen from the likes of Anne McCaffrey (the parallels with her "Dragonriders" books are so blatant that I'm surprised she doesn't sue him), Ursula K Le Guin, David Eddings, JK Rowling, and hundreds of other authors. He even steals from the James Bond films (the idea of Eragon becoming an elf sounds suspiciously similar to Bond becoming Japanese in "You Only Live Twice"). Note to Paolini...you seriously need to get some ideas of your own, or it'll reach a point where nobody will read your books as they'll just be rip-offs of others.

Paolini also inserts complicated words every few pages (his favourite one being "stymied"). Most of them are out of place, and none of them are likely to be familiar to the target audience. There are bucketloads of forced dialogue (such as the infamous "last words" exchange near the beginning), and the same long, boring description that plagued "Eragon" shows up here too. The subplot involving Roran and Katrina was dull and uninteresting, and will probably amount to nothing by the time the Inheritance trilogy is over. He uses the word "aye" over and over again, and endlessly violates the "show it, don't tell it" rule of writing. Oh yes...and there are his pathetic attempts at trying to sound wise and philosophical by sticking in blatant morals about vegetarianism every few minutes. All of these come to together to make "Eldest" one of the worst sequels ever written.

And sadly, Paolini is going to continue making these mistakes. He refuses to listen to advice from his reviewers, and goes around crowing about his ability to write with "lyrical beauty." The fact of the matter is, he isn't a writer, and probably never will be one. His attitude to writing is summed up perfectly in his now infamous quote "Characters are born out of necessity" (we could probably have guessed at that anyway, as he is totally incapable of creating a three-dimensional character). As any true writer will tell you, characters are living, breathing creatures almost with minds of their own. Unfortunately, Paolini doesn't seem to have grasped that yet, hence the reason why he clearly thinks he's God's gift to the world of books.

I'm not going to bother reading the third book, as I already know exactly what will happen in it. The whole thing will be a blatant rip-off of "Return of the Jedi" with even more "Lord of the Rings" clones thrown in. And I know precisely how the last scene will go. Eragon will give himself up to Murtagh, who will take him to Emperor Galbatorix. Murtagh and Eragon will duel, and Eragon will mortally wound Murtagh. Emperor Galbatorix will torture Eragon, but Murtagh, with the last of his strength, will kill him. Then he will die in the arms of Eragon, who will escape just in time to avoid death. Meanwhile, the Varden will destroy the Empire despite the Empire having phenemonally powerful weaponry at their disposal. Oh yes, and Arya will realise she loved Eragon all along, and the two of them will get married and settle down. Yawn, yawn, yawn. I certainly won't be reading it, and I advice people not to read this piece of garbage either.

And by the way, I also have a few words to say to fans of the Inheritance trilogy. I honestly don't think I've seen a more obsessive fanbase of any book or film series before. This pages are swamped with Eragon fanatics who cannot bear to hear a word against this supposedly wonderful piece of literature. They give low helpfulness ratings to poor reviews, and come up with increasingly silly reasons as to why its awfulness should be allowed. As others have done before me, I intend to refute the main arguments put forward by Eragon fans in defence of their favourite book series. Here goes...

- "He's only a child, leave him alone." For starters he isn't a child any more. And secondly, he's a published author, and therefore we have the right to criticise him despite his age.
- "It's a children's book, so it's alright for it to be poor." That is cruel and untrue. Children have as much right as adults to be given good books to read, and to say that its awfulness is okay because it's a children's book is just wrong.
- "I don't see you writing a book at his age." So what you're basically saying is that only published authors have the right to criticise books. Sorry, that's not true either. You don't need to be an author to recognise a bad book...you simply have to be a reader.
- "It's not plagarism, it's influence from other authors." There's a line between being influenced by your favourite authors and plagarising from them, and Paolini crossed that line almost from Page 1 of "Eragon." Many authors use ideas that others have used before them, but they will make the ideas their own, and take them in their own direction. Paolini has used hundreds of ideas from other authors, and not once has he added his own touches to them. And if you still think he hasn't plagarised from other authors, compare the names "Aragorn," "Arwen" and "Isengard" to "Eragon," "Arya," "Ardwen" and "Isenstar." The parallels are right there.
- "If you liked the authors Paolini stole from, you must like Paolini." No we mustn't. An earlier reviewer said it better than I could...we want to read an original, well-written book, not a flimsy rip-off.
- "You're just out to criticise it." No we're not. The majority of "Eldest" haters picked the book up with the intention of reading it, not with the intention of coming to Amazon and saying "Urgh, it stinks!"

And last but not least, my personal favourite...

- "You all suck." If you can't accept that other people have a right to an opinion, you're not going to get very far in life.

The Eragon fanatics need to accept that there are people out there who dislike Paolini's work (and justifiably so). But I don't know why I'm bothering saying this...the fanatics ignored all the previous reviewers who tried to put them straight, and I don't see why they'll pay any attention to me. But at least I can say I tried.

Teens can write. Paolini cannot., March 25, 2006
Paolini is a young man suffering from WUI. (Writing Under the Influence) He is under the influence Tolkien, Lucas and the tons of other writers he has taken plot-points and other things from. I could even say he is taking things from Poe (When Eragon wrote 'In the kingdom by the sea' in that poem, I dropped the book in shock as my mind sent an alarm of 'Annabel-Lee').

Now for those of you that say that there are no new ideas--
There are none. You're right. Ideas are common and everywhere and most unoriginal. What you yourself do with those ideas in a story make the STORY original.

Paolini's story is not original. You can see from skimming the lines that there are word for word quotes from other things. Angela saying that she will spare two eyes if she can-- a direct quote from Gandalf. Murtagh revealing who he is at the end can be compared to Star Wars without that much work. If only Paolini had spent another year or two playing with the story and changing things a little, it would be a good story. But it isn't.

And as for us being too harsh on him for being a young man and not an adult, he is twenty-two. He is an adult now. He is a published author in the real world and we cannot cut him slack as if he were still in school and this was a creative writing assigment that he 'tried really, really hard' on.

Not to mention that Mary Shelley was nineteen when she wrote her famed novel Frankenstein and S. E. Hinton was sixteen when she published The Outsiders. Those are books that are decades old (Almost a two centuries if you look at Frankenstein) and are still being read today. And never did Shelley or Hinton use their age as a marketing tool-- both of those books were published without anything about the author on them.

Teens can write. Paolini cannot.

I seriously feel like egging Paolini sometimes, January 10, 2006
Ok. First i have to talk about the author, Christopher Paolini. I would have respected him for his work, if not for the arrogant personality he displays all the time and the media on his work. What is with all this? The Inheritance novels are mediocre. There is really no genius about it. Just beacause he is nineteen is no reason to call him a teen Tolkien, or to call his books absolutely incredible. Say, pretty nice work for a teen. And that should be it. No need to proclaim him a genius, when he isnt. His writing has improved slightly, but it is still awkward and tedious and as the author himself, he is a sure arrogant guy, comparing his works with Tolkien and Seamus Heaney. The very nerve! I would have respected him if he had been a modest guy, but a self-proclaimed genius is far too much.

This and the fact that at every opportunity, he chimes in that he graduated at the age of fifteen. Excuse me, this does not mean that he is oustanding in academics. HE IS HOMESCHOOLED, He did not go to some public school. Not to insult homeschooled kids, but this means that he could have been a C student, for all we know. All his parents had to do was speed him through schoolwork and proclaim him finished when he wsa fifteen. If i was homeschooled, i could easily do the same thing. We do not have actual proof that he is a great scholar. I mean, if it was fact that he gotten a fifteen hundred on his SATs, or he has been accepted by an Ivy League, like Alicia Keys did when SHE was fifteen, then i would admire him. But we dont. And when i hear of people clamoring over his "graduating from the age of fifteeen" and his "genius works" i am highly irritated. Paolini likes to boast of it himself, calling himself "from a child who hated to read to a man who graduated from the age of fifteen" First, so what. I absolutely loathe math, but i excell at it. i hate science, but i earn A's in my bio class. And shouldnt he say "from a kid who hated to read to a guy who WROTE A NOVEL"? That would make a lot more sense. And the fact that he used to hate to read! That lowers my respect a lot.
Oh, and the fact that he says that he brings his story to life. Excuse me, Mr. Paolini but not really. The few cases in which i could imagine the scene was, for a strange reason, straight from the Lord of the Ring movies. Weird, huh?

oh, by the way, for the eragon lovers claim that all the bad reviewers are jealous. Excuse me, but when you say something like,"this was a bad movie", does that mean you're jealous of the producers or something? Puh-lease. And people claim that since all fanstasies are similar, paolini copying is not a crime. But there is a difference between similar and PURE PLAGIARIZING like paolini does from LOTR and Star Wars. And i dont even mind that as much as the writing style. i mean, some novels are about such boring subjects. what turns them ito great books is the style in which is is written. THAT IS WHAT THE INHERITANCE SERIES LACKS. A GOOD WRITING STYLE. I mean, if it was well-written, it would have brought up my rating a couple stars up, even. But as it isnt...

oh and i read some reviews in which some writer-wannabe said that people who critizised the books were jealous that paolini got the book published by his parents who own a publishing comp. Um, please. WE'RE NOT ALL WRITERS, JUST READERS! our priorities lie somewhere else! My god.

So lets get on with the book. As i said in my title, Eldest is an improvement after that utterly disgraceful novel called Eragon. SPOILERS COMING. Ajihad dies suddenly in like the first five pages. His death and the suddeness of the ambush on him is poorly written with awkward construction. Then his daughter Nasuada suceeds him as leader of the Varden, a small group of rebels, sworn enemies of the Empire.

Before we move on, i should warn the reader that the general frame is similar to Star Wars. There is an elite group of warriors, long gone, called the Riders, kinda like the Jedi, One of them, an unusually talented yet dangerous boy called Galbatorix (cough Vader) rises to power, destroys all the riders and takes control of the land called Alagaesia and makes it into an empire. Then a poor farm boy of no importance called Eragon (sounds like aragorn but is actually luke skywalker) finds a stone which is a dragon egg. The empire starts hunting for him and a wierd old guy in his village takes eragon on a journey. the guy himself knows a lot of magic and things about riders and then soon dies. seems that he used to b a powerful Rider. (aka obi-Wan Kenobi). And then the farm boy rescues the rebel princess in imprisonment, and then becomes a hero.

And blah blah blah. Of course Paolini has ripped off a lot from Lord of the Rings with his names and lands and creatures like the mining, underground dwarves, who are on shaky land with humans and the graceful, mysterious, powerful, immortal and beautiful elves, ruled by a beautiful, mysterious queen, and they hide in their enchanted forests and do nothing against the evil dude. Arwen is Arya, who helps Eragon and even matches Arwen's appearance. Eragon falls in love with her (aragorn and arwen love affair *cough*). In the first book, Paolini also ripped off LOTR the part when sauron is defeated and there's a sort of sonic boom (same thing happened when Eragon killed the evil shade Durza)

Well anyway, Murtagh has been killed and so has the twins, or at least it seems so. But by the blunt disposal of them by the author, it's pre-tty obvious that they are alive, since they are major characters and eragon expresses his grief for his companion in maybe two sentences for the entire book.

he goes off to Ellesmera to learn further magic from the elves, especially a crippled and retired rider called Oromis (obviously Yoda) and his handicapped dragon tutors Saphira.

Eragon flies into rages with an elf who is disgusted with eragon (i dont blame the elf) and pines and sobs about the cold arya, who is less than thrilled about his feelings for her. The author gives some political reasons why this is so, but in my frank opinion, who would go for Eragon, the loser and ugly guy that he is? Anyhow, Eragon learns what a vegetarian is, and has ridiculous philosiphical conversations with his mentor,

and meanwhile, his cousin rowan is having problems of his own.

Rowan comes back to the farm to find his father dead and his cousin eragon missing. He and his girlfriend Katrina are hesitant about marriage and the Ra-zac have come back and they want Rowan. After several skirmishes with the local villagers, Carvahall altogether declare war and after death and CANNIBALISM (squeamish ppl, beware) they escape across the sea for Surda and a better life. Katrina is captured and Rowan decides to kill people with a hammer.(WTF?!?!) Then after many tears and hammerblows they reach their destintaion. (one more ripoff is when there are these flying black creatures flying above them in the forest and screeching in this horrible, unnatural way that causes the villagers to moan)

Eragon, after another failed attempt at wooing Arya and just about transformed into an elf by them, he hurries back to the Varden just in time for the big battle with Surda this time fighting along them, and some Kull who resent Galbatorix. Of course they win, only to his horror,

SPOLIERS BEWARE:

"I...AM...YOUR...FATHER!!!". ok not quite. he finds out that murtagh is actually his brother and galbatorix's right-hand Rider, Morzan, slain by Brom years ago, (obi-wan and anakin skywalker duel in episode three) is his father. THis is pretty much obvious in the first book if you put the clues together. To make it worse, Murtagh is Galbatorix's slave and he is forced to obey him by ancient language-oaths, which mean that you cannot break it. If this werent enough, Murtagh, despite all of Eragon's training and longer experience, is far more powerful than his little brother. Because frankly, Murtagh has been trained by Galbotorix. And he is now a Rider. Yep the second egg has hatched for Murtagh and Thorn, the new dragon, bears a rider. Who is Murtagh.

so the battle of the burning plains or whatever is EXACTLY like the battle of minas tirith in lord of the rings. people are fighting on these desolate plains. all seems lost when ta-da, people show up and help them fight (here paolini substitutes the Rohan people for the dwarves) then ahhh! a big dragon swoops down from the sky and kills a king! the dragon's rider is dressed in steel, including these little steel-finger gloves, and when the dragon is brought down, the rider gets down from the dragon to fight by hand!! totally plagiarizing.

and let me guess. in the next book, ergaon will be brought face-to-face with Galbatorix. Ergaon will be losing, dying, when ta-da! Galbatorix's right hand man Murtagh will become good and help Ergaon kill Galbatorix. Yep. I bet you that will happen. MY GOD PAOLINI PLEASE STOP COPYING FROM STAR WARS AND LORD OF THE RINGS. JUST A SLIGHT EFFORT. Pretty please?

And i leave it to the readers to shake their heads exasperately at Eragon, who is as much as a jerk and awkwardly nobel as ever. here is an example.

Ergaon: "What is your name?"
Boy: "Jarsha,"
Ergaon: "That is a good name."
Boy: Umm, thanks.Here's a message from the council.
Eragon: "You have carried your message well. You should be proud of yourself.
Boy beams and hurries away.

see what i mean? my god, it wasn't like the boy travelled like ten miles or anything, he walked like maybe fifty steps. That line was so corny i nearly cried in disbelief that that had actually been put down on paper.

And you will grimace with disgust at the even more awkward poetry Paolini writes, after all, every genius fantasy writer puts good poetry; for example, Rowling's was entertaining, Tolkien's was powerful and beautiful; paolini's is pure amateur and feeble. i do hope the next book will improve.

oh, and why the heck is this called the "Inheritance" books? Nothing gets inherited in these books. Eragon didnt inherit anyhting. Murtagh inherited a sword from his father. big deal. lord of the rings i understand. harry potter i understand. why the heck would these series be called "inheritance"?

oh, and i was also annoyed at the fact that eragon, a farm boy with no education and illiterate, suddenly becomes an expert at reading and writing in not only in whatever his language is, but also in Elvish.
Being pretty much an adult, Eragon should find it more difficult than ever to learn, because it is proven that the older you get, the slower you learn things.
yet, only after a few weeks of learning, Eragon is suddenly reading and writing like its nothing. after a few months at Ellesmera, Eragon is suddenly speaking an entrirely different language, and writing and reading it as if he has been speaking it all his life. yes, he knows a lot of elvish words from his magic training, but i also mean adjectives and combining sentences and blah. seriously, paolini, get a life and please stop copying and writing terribly besides. sheesh.

Don't be taken in by the hype, January 28, 2006
I liked Eragon well enough and I was looking forward to this book coming out. As it turns out, it's a good thing I waited for the library copy and didn't buy it, because owning it would have been pointless. The prose is really rather tedious and immature, not to mention how unnecessarily LONG it is. I won't summarize; just know that the "influence" of other writers is starkly visible. There's little originality in the writing, and the text is ridden with mistakes that a good editor should have eliminated (e.g., the incorrect and completely arbitrary substitution of words like "mine" and "thy/thine" for "my" and "yours"). Overall, the dialogue is probably the most awkard part, with the next most irksome thing being the superfluous scenes. Side note: anyone interested in joining a rescue mission to free the author's thesaurus? The preachiness really got to me, too; the author seems to dream of a society full of vegetarian atheists who practice elf yoga daily and takes "mates" whenever they want to without any commitment. And yes, "aye" is used with obscene frequency.

However -
I did read the whole book, and I wanted to find out what happened to Eragon even after the stupid training period in Ellesmera that was probably supposed to be formative (actually it just ends with us having to accept that Eragon is amazingly powerful and talented). So, I must say -- with reluctance? -- that this book wasn't a total waste of time. No, it is not good, but I wanted to know what happened.

And then Eragon lightly bounded up the epicly proportionatly steps to his bed., July 17, 2006
Bored yet. Thats what most of the sentences are like. I found myself skipping pages and missing absolutely nothing except Mr. Paolinis wonderful descriptions. When I read Eragon I thought it was okay not great, I didn't like the fact that Paolini copied just about every fantasty book out there. In Eldest though it gets ridiculous. As I was reading I was imagining Gimli, Arwen, and Luke Skywalker strolling through the woods.

I have to agree with the others about the editor, this book could have gotten rid of 200 pgs. or so and we would have missed nothing except expandind our vocabulary. I found myself thinking of one of my old english teachers(shudder) I don't need to be reminded of that.

Overall Paolinis descriptions reminded me of the enigizer bunny, they kept going and going and going. I'll probably read the third book when it comes out, lets all hope that a new editor comes along. Please. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

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.

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 more

Reviews

Series keeps getting better and better, May 15, 2008
Life is rough in high school--even for dhamphirs. Rose Hathaway is in her Senior year at St. Vladimir's. In six months, she'll be a full fledged guardian, protecting her lifelong best friend, Lissa, a Moroi Royal.

Rose is on her way to take her Qualifier. She's going to be tested by one of the guardian greats, Arthur Schoenberg. Since he cannot leave the Moroi royal house he is guarding, Rose and her teacher, Dimitri, are coming to them.

What they find instead is slaughter. All Moroi and Dhamphir members of the household are dead--apparently a plot by the Stigoi vampires and humans in conjunction.

St. Vladimir's reacts with alarm. The school won't be allowing the students to leave on Christmas break. Instead, a ski resort will host all the students together and attendance is mandatory.

Then--another Royal house is attacked and it becomes obvious the Stigoi are set to attack all the Moroi royalty and end the lines. While the Moroi are arguing defense, some of the factions are considering a more offensive approach--which, to this point, has been forbidden.

Did I mention that Rose is having man trouble? She's in love with Dimitri, her teacher, but she can have Mason, a fellow guardian-in-training.

And--since the guardians in training need even more defensive training, guess who's come to teach special classes? Janine Hathaway, Rose's mother, who'd given up raising her child for her career...

What impresses me most about "Frostbite" is Rose's character growth in one short novel. You really read how events shape Rose's thought processes and can see how this young heroine is being shaped for her future in service to the Moroi.

The intro to this book is one of the best I've ever read. In author parlance, it's a 'tell', but it's a great introduction to Rose's world and the three types of vampires inhabiting it.

"Frostbite" is the second book in Richelle Mead's 'Vampire Academy' series. It's written for young adults, but I promise you adult readers are going to enjoy every minute of the story. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.

There aren't enough stars for this novel!, April 13, 2008
For the fourth time, Richelle Mead has shown just what a brilliant, talented writer she is. "Frostbite" is part 2 of an ongoing teen series that began with "Vampire Academy," and it is clearly the best so far.

"Vampire Academy" introduced us to our narrator--Rose--and about a dozen other important characters; namely her best friend, Lissa, and her mentor and love, Dimitri. Mead's new vampiric world was slowly revealed throughout the course of the story, outlining the importance of the academy, as well as the roles of Moroi (like Lissa), dhampir (Rose and Dimitri), and Strigoi. In the simplest of explanations: Moroi are akin to royalty who must be protected; dhampir are the guardians of the Moroi; Strigoi are vampires gone bad (yes, you read that right).

"Frostbite" is an astounding follow-up. The prologue has Rose re-introduce the basics of this developing series, as well as a couple key roles. It's a good refresher on the events of the previous novel, and brings long-awaiting readers back up to speed.

This time, Rose's life becomes even more exciting. For starters, Strigoi are attacking in coherent, organized groups, slaughtering royalty and their guardians with frightening ease. Then, Rose's previously-absent mother appears--unwantingly for Rose--at the academy while the Moroi in the northwest gather to strategize defense. As if that weren't enough, her feelings for Dimitri, while returned, are constantly being rejected and turned down, as they have a duty to protect Lissa, and the risk of emotion cannot get in the way of that.

But does it end there? Not for Rose. Her friend, Mason, begins to show interest in her just as an old friend of Dimitri's shows feelings for him, causing even more chaos in Rose's heart. And all the while, she's lacking the company she sorely misses from Lissa, AND she's unwittingly witnessing Lissa and her new boyfriend take their relationship to the next level!

It sounds like a lot of drama, and it is. But Mead narrates to us flawlessly in the voice of Rose, who is clearly growing up, albeit struggling. Older teenage girls and even young adult females are likely to find themselves empathizing with our heroine. Mead's style is fresh and exciting, making it hard to put down the book even for a moment. Some of the action gets a little hot and heavy, but Rose is 17, something parents should keep in mind when considering this for younger girls.

But for older teens, this series is exceedingly brilliant. Richelle Mead creates an exciting, brand new world of vampires with all the familiar modern notes of strong female leads, friendships, enemies, relationships, and drama. Interspersed is Rose's wit and sarcasm, often landing her in trouble with others, but keeping the spice of the story and holding the readers' mental palate.

"Frostbite," put simply, has surpassed its predecessor. I wish I could give it more stars, and I simply cannot recommend this series enough. It will be agonizing to wait 'til next fall for the sequel, "Shadow Kiss."

Mead Never Fails to Deliver, September 3, 2008
From the first page of Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) I was hooked. By inventing a fresh, original take on vampires with a believable biology and a detailed world layout explained by more than simply "magic" I saw the start of a great series. By weaving in the beginnings of a forbidden romance and a intensely interesting conflict I knew that I'd devour the book within a day. And I did. I ordered Frostbite from three different places right away: Borders, amazon and the library. Then I paced around for a week and jumped whenever the phone rang. When I walked to the end of the driveway and found it sitting innocently in the mailbox I ripped it open right there - talk about papercuts, but I didn't feel them, because I was hyped up on adrenaline! - I actually sat down right on the lawn and read. Mmmm. Richelle can do a sequel! Quite possibly the best vampire inspired novel I have ever read.
Read it. Devour it. Love it.

I'm Hooked, June 17, 2010
The second book in the Vampire Academy series does not disappoint! Rose and Lissa are at the Academy near Christmas when there is a major attack. All the royal vampire families are in danger so the Academy makes it mandatory for the students to retreat to an Idaho Ski Resort for Christmas. While there Rose meets Adrian, a vampire royal, who has the same abilities as Lissa. When Rose's friends go on the offensive to attack the bad vampires, she joins forces with Christian and Mia. Despite being able to survive the horrors of torture, the students learned their heroism had consequences. The characters are realistic and likable. I will be reading the next book.

Fascinatingly Different!, June 26, 2009
Another one, just as good or even better than the first book! Ms Mead is creating a completely real world revolving around a teenager growing up, with the added bonus of involving a dark vampiric setting.

Rose is now ready to take her Qualifier, and to accompany her is her true love and mentor, Dimitri, but as they arrive at their destination they discover that issues are array. Come to find bodies of moroi and dhamphir gardians spread about.

They realize that humans are now helping the gruesome and lurid stigois. St Valdmir in panic, they recognize the safest approach is to take the students to a ski resort, where it is easily guarded. Christmas, Rose conceives, is definitely not what she had expected. She is entirely confused with her forbidden love with Dimitri, her attraction to Mason, her mother returning after years without contact whatsoever, Lissa straying away to spend more and more time with Christian, and trying to find ways to cope and comprehend with what an actual life of a guardian is after seeing it first hand the grave risks and responsibilities.

I find the characters so intriguing especially the growing up process with Rose. I sympathize with the way she always tries to be the one with the level head. She is so strong and is so hard on herself when she feels she could have done more or acted a differently in certain situations, but that's part of growing up. I can relate, as other will too, to the novels authentic grasp of maturing in life that is both real and reality. My languid heart aches for more!

The Story Siren Reviews:, September 21, 2008
The story picks up right were Vampire Academy left us. Rose and Lissa are still at St. Vladimir's. Lissa and Christian are now together and Rose is still in love with her mentor/tutor, Dimitri. When a massive Strigoi attack halts everyone's plans to travel home, St. Vladimir sends its students to a posh Idaho ski resort, so families can come together in a safe place.

But there seems to be a lot more drama happening on the slopes than Rose was expecting. Her good friend Mason has a huge crush on her, Rose's mom pops unexpectedly back into her life, and Dimitri seems to have eyes for someone else. Not to mention the Strigoi continue to cause problems.

When Mason and two other fellow students go missing, Rose knows they went to find the Strigoi. Joining forces with Christian, they head off to find the trio and end up way over their heads......

Let me just start off by saying that I love Richelle! I started reading Frostbite and I completely devoured it in one sitting! Is it her writing, the characters, the plot? Maybe it is a combination of everything, but I get so captivated in the story that I don't even see the pages getting thinner and the book coming to an end! In all seriousness, I really enjoy this series. It has everything that I like, vampires, humor, satire, action, romance, and suspense. I feel like I know the characters. I could defiantly see Rose growing throughout this novel and I can't wait to see her grow even more. While the plot had many twists and turns, Meade kept it going at a fantastic pace! I may even like Frostbite better than Vampire Academy! This is a great vampire series and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest that you do! I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book Shadow Kiss, which will be available Nov. 13!

Loved it !, August 2, 2008
Love this series and after the fallout from Breaking Dawn, I will anticipate the third book will be high on the best seller list.

Easy, good read.

Awesome!, July 27, 2008
Wow! This was a great follow-up to Vampire Academy (Book 1). Richelle Mead has a wonderful style of writing that keeps the pace moving quickly. It was hard for me to put this book down once I started reading. Once again, the plot and characters were unique and interesting. Mysteries kept unfolding and love triangles were building; there's always something intriguing going on to hold the reader's interest. Now I can't wait for the 3rd book of the series to come out!

Fantastic sequel is better than the first!, April 10, 2008
Vampire Academy book 1 is a wildly successful beginning to the series. Fans have been clamoring for more, and now we finally get our hands on Frostbite as book 2 of the VA series. Does it live up to our expectations? Absolutely! In fact, Frostbite is even better than book 1. If you enjoyed VA, you will love this book. Richelle Mead writes an immersive and highly entertaining story from the perspective of Rose, a teenage girl who dedicates her studies and her life to protect her best friend Lissa. Someone or something is murdering vampires, and the students and guardians of St. Vladimir's are totally freaking out. Meanwhile, she has to deal with the forbidden love for her instructor Dimitri. Oh, it just keeps getting better! The ending is fantastic, and leaves you clamoring for book 3.

More Enjoyable Than the First Book, July 23, 2010
A vampire attack confines the students at the vampire academy to the school, despite winter break. The students, faculty, and students' families end up spending Christmas together at a luxury ski resort. The adventure, romance, and teen high school confusion continues, but the ending is dramatic, and one of Rose's friends is killed. An absorbing read! ... Read more

Editorial Review

With 2 million copies of her "Immortals series" in print, Alyson Noel is one of the hottest paranormal teen authors writing today. "Night Star" continues the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen must face bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears - all in the hope of being together forever. "Night Star" is guaranteed to mesmerize fans and leave them breathlessly awaiting the sixth and final book! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Dawn Treader will take you places you never dreamed existed.

Reviews

Voyaging, May 26, 2005
The second volume of the Narnia Chronicles closed with the possibility of Lucy and Edmund -- though not their older siblings -- returning to Narnia. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" makes good on that story, with the intrepid pair (plus a whiny cousin) returning on a strange sea voyage.

After the events of "Prince Caspian," Lucy and Edmund are sent off to stay with their obnoxious cousin Eustace. But when they admire a picture of a strange ship, suddenly all three kids are sucked in -- and land in a Narnian sea. On board the ship is King Caspian, now fully grown, who is determined to find a bunch of knights exiled by his murderous uncle, even if he has to go to the edge of the world (literally).

Lucy and Edmund are thrilled to be back in Narnia again, but Eustance proceeds to make trouble any way he can, complaining and causing trouble among the crew. But there are problems more horrifying than any of them can guess, from dragons to sinister "gold water" to a region filled with their worst nightmares.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is one of Lewis's most original and tightly-written Narnian adventures. It's also a bit of a break from form. After two books of battles against evil tyrants, "Voyage" simply goes where no man/woman/mouse has gone before, and gives us a view of the Narnian world as more than one isolated little region.

And in some ways, it's also the darkest Chronicle. Lewis explores the theme of greed here -- greed for power, beauty, money and magic -- and has some scenes both chilling and majestic. But his archly humorous style peeks through in several places, whether it's pompous mouse Reepicheep or tea with a reclusive old wizard.

Edmund and Lucy are their usual plucky selves, albeit a bit more mature than before. But "Voyage" also introduces one of Lewis' most interesting characters in Eustace Clarence Scrubb. Like Edmund, Eustace is initially a peevish, lying boy who generally makes trouble, but slowly learns his errors. But unlike Edmund, Eustace doesn't have to ally himself to the baddie to learn that.

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was a turning point for the Narnia Chronicles, as well as the one that began venturing into darker territory. Engaging and tightly written.

questing after the Kingdom, November 8, 2001
I have put off reviewing "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for a long time. There is no other book I have so longed to recommend to others, but I have felt (and still feel) totally inadequate when it comes to expressing what a wonderful story this is. I could go on for days about all the wonderful things contained here. That said, I will try and focus on only a few aspects of this book and then plead with you to read it.

First, I must note that I feel this story should be read in the context of the entire Narnian series. It stands on its own nicely enough, but the deep background of the previous tales adds richness and texture to the tale.

Secondly, I must note that this book is highly enjoyable because it works on two levels. The tale as a whole is the story of a journey into unknown lands. With each new place they visit, the whole is broken into wonderful episodes. My favorite episode (with the exception of the ending) is the island where dreams come true...its not what one would expect.

The character of Eustace is my favorite of all the humans in the Narnian books. This story is partly a tale of his transformation. This seems to be a universal human desire; but Eustace, like all who truly seek transformation must, finds impossible to reform himself. This is an especially timely lesson for our "self-help" culture at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

This brings me to what I like best of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Let me preface what I say here by making it clear that no one hates heavy-handed use of allegory as much as I do. However, the allegory that is "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is one of the greatest things of beauty I have ever encountered.

In one form or another we are all questing after an unseen kingdom. Be it the kingdom of God, Materialism, or simply of the Self--we are all, like Caspian and his pals, on a quest. I don't wish to give away any endings, but let me just say that the greatest truth Lewis expresses in his book is that no one can reach the True Kingdom on their own.

I urge you to read this book. If I could only have a handful of books, this one would definitely be among them. I give "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" my highest recommendation.

A beautiful quest story, July 6, 2000
Lucy and Edmund return to Narnia and find themselves on the Dawn Treader, a true sailing vessel for a magical children's story, traveling with Prince Caspian on a quest to find the end of the world. However, when the children are returned to their favorite land, they bring along their cousin, the sour and demanding Eustace Scrubb.

Through many adventures at sea and during ports of call, Eustace makes the rather predictable transformation into an alright chap, but don't mistake the predictability of this end for cheap or sloppy story telling on Lewis's part. Eustace's transformation can be interpreted as the transformation of the unbeliever to a Christian, and the symbolism of his physical change is rich and compelling for adults and engaging and magical for children.

Our dear, brave friend Reepacheep is back, too, and shows his continuing bravery in a heartwarming ending that causes readers to feel great admiration for the little mouse with big courage.

The richest part of the novel is the well described climax in which the story takes on a mythical nature and our friends come close to the line between heaven and earth.

It's a lovely book, and as usual for the series, can be enjoyed on theological levels, but it loses nothing if the reader picks it up as pure fantasy for someone looking for a great tale!

The best of the series, February 21, 2001
Our old friends Lucy and Edmund Pevensie join their nerdy cousin Eustace, in this book, in a journey through a portrait of a ship, to the seas off the coast of Narnia. There, they meet their old friend Prince Caspian, who is adventuring across the seas to explore the far reaches of his world. He is also searching for a group of lost nobility from Narnia, who apparently had been marooned on various Narnian islands years before. They all travel from island to island, and have many challenging adventures.

Of all the Narnia books, this is probably the one where C.S. Lewis gave himself the most freedom to just tell a story, without being "in-your-face" about the allegorical meanings of everything. There IS a lot of allegory, but he makes it part of a story here, rather then constructing a story just as an excuse to make up a context for an allegory. It's a terrific tale for children or adults. Absolutely two thumbs up.

I just want to recommend a few books, for anyone who may be curious about what sources C.S. Lewis drew upon for this story. I'll let you discover them for yourself, but the titles are: "Phantom Islands of the Atlantic," by Donald S. Johnson, and "New Worlds, Ancient Texts" by Anthony Grafton. Also -- if anyone's interested in learning about the cultural context of C.S. Lewis' personal problems with science education, which are pretty obvious in the way he talks about Eustace, then I recommend looking at "The Two Cultures" by C.P. Snow. You'll see what I mean.

The text Lewis did not prefer, December 17, 2005
I'd like to see an edition with both versions of Chapter Twelve, "The Dark Island". C.S. Lewis found himself dissatisfied with the ending of that chapter; he thought that having the island simply vanish denigrated children's feelings, implying as it does that children _should_ feel like "pretty good fools" for being afraid of things that don't frighten grownups.

So for the American edition, he revised that chapter to show the island growing "smaller and smaller astern" as the ship sailed away. And instead of having Lord Rhoop beg never to be sent back there, he had a strong bit of business in which Lord Rhoop's boon that he begs of King Caspian is "Never to ask me, or to let any other ask me, what I have seen during my years on the Dark Island."

Lewis thought, and I think, that this was more respectful of his child-readers: acknowledging that even if the fear-object is imaginary, the fear is real. The original edition _dismissed_ children's fears, tantamount to laughing at a child who's awakened in shuddering terror and telling him, "It was all just a dream! Now don't you feel silly?"

Lewis's revision -- the "Never to ask me" version of the text -- was featured in all American editions prior to 1994. At that time, the US publishers made the decision to return to the earlier text simply because it was the "original", ignoring Lewis's own preference for the revised text.

I'd like to see an edition of this book that includes both versions of Chapter 12, perhaps adding the revised text as an appendix at the book's end.

An "Odyssey" for Children, October 26, 2001
After reading the very first line, "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it," I realized that I had made a huge mistake beginning "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" half an hour before bedtime. More exciting and adventure-packed than the two preceeding books (in the original ordering, of course), "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian", it is hard to put down.

The main characters that readers will recognize are King Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep. Sadly, Peter and Susan have since become too old to reenter Narnia; but the story does amazingly well even without them. Here, Eustace, who will reappear in "The Silver Chair", is introduced for the first time. They are an interesting bunch, all providing something essential to the story, especially Reepicheep (whose character and personal history are developed further) and Eustace (who experiences a wonderful kind of redemption).

The Dawn Treader is a ship King Caspian built in order to fulfil an oath made on his coronation day to find the seven lords and friends of his father that his uncle Miraz had sent to explore the Eastern Seas. Every two chapters or so, the Dawn Treader stops at an island, where its crew and passengers have a small adventure-within-the-larger-adventure, discover the fate of each of the seven lords, and learn good moral lessons. For instance, one island, called the Dark Island, is a place where dreams come true. It may sound wonderful, until you realize that the dreams that come true are not the pleasant daydreams, but the nightmares. After the last island, the passengers even reach, or very nearly reach, the End of the World.

Though I compared this book to Homer's "Odyssey" in the title of this review, I must add that it can also be likened to John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". This voyage is not guided by fate and devoid of reason, but is blessed by Aslan (who symbolizes Jesus) and is full of meaning and purpose. It does not merely represent the passage through life, but the passage through life _as a Christian_. That may be why one reviewer complained that this novel is overly preachy. Yet we readers are human, after all, and in need of being preached to now and then. Another thing that may surprise readers is the chivalry with which Lucy, the only girl on the ship, is treated by the men. Though it not "politically correct," as Eustace himself points out at the beginning, it has a certain rightness to it.

Remembering how the March girls in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" played at being good in imitation of the character Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress", only to realize that their game was really a way of life, I can say that it would be wonderful if children today could apply the allegories in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in the same way. Parents, take note: it is easier to ask a child, "What would Edmund tell you about forgiving someone who has done wrong, like Eustace?" than to launch into a weary sermon about forgiveness that they may not remember anyway. There are more archetypes in this book, and in all stories about Narnia, than C.S. Lewis himself must have realized: and children can only benefit from knowing them as they grow up.

Plot Overcomes Allegory: Hurray!, September 3, 2000
This is the best of the Narnia series. C.S. Lewis allows the plot to get away occasionally from his strict form of Christian allegory. Moreover, the book is funny and episodic and exciting. And it's about getting to know yourself and changing what you don't like.

Unexplored waters and unknown lands create a magic of their own in which Lucy and Edmund and, especially, Eustace -- having magically found themselves on board the Dawn Treader --can come to terms with their weakness and strength. The Dark Island, where all dreams (not just good ones!) come true, Deathwater Island -- the place of greed, Dragon Island, where Eustace turns into a dragon (which, of course, he was on the inside all along), Ramandu's island, the sea people's land, the house of the Retired Star, and more, reveal what stuff these children are made on. What their mettle is may not always exemplary, but in this book at least, characters can change. Eustace can be un-dragoned and become a changed child (having dragon skin a foot deep ripped off by a lion would, I think, inevitably result in change). This is a book of deep, miraculous possibility. As a child, I read *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* until it fell apart, and I've gone through another copy since.

My only criticism is this: C. S. Lewis, having loosened his strangle-hold on his constricting Christian allegory, occasionally seems to feel obliged to bring in something really ham-handed. It's most annoying. The most egregious intrusion occurs when the children encounter, in the middle of nowhere, a milky white lamb frying fish on the open grass. How the heck does a lamb fry fish? Where does he get fish? Where does he get the frying pan? Why do we *need* this for the plot? The Lamb of God (Christ), communion, fish. Cringe. It's all tossed into the pot and left somehow to be digested. There are fabulous Christian allegories; this is not one of them. I would to say that this is the only place in the entire series where C.S. Lewis' allegory truly and absolutely and utterly crashes and burns. But one Lamb doesn't stop this from being a great book. *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* provides delight, wonder, and best of all, a promise of a second chance for every one of us.

What a Voyage!, January 17, 2005
C.S. Lewis' "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was the third Narnian chronicle to be written and the fifth chronologically. Along with "The Last Battle", it's probably my favorite in the series.

Lucy and Edmund have to stay with their cousin Eustace Scrubb and his trendy parents Harold and Albert. Eustace is very serious, a bit of a know-all, cynical and just a little bit mean, . He keeps making fun of Lucy and Edmund's tales of Narnia, the world they have not only visited twice, but been kings and queens in. His mockery soons stops though when the three of them get sucked into a painting in an attic. They find themselves on board the Dawn Treader, King Caspian's exploration vessel, on the beginning of a voyage. The King and his men seek to discover new islands, to find his father's friends who were banished seven years ago, and to see Aslan's Country, rumoured to be at the most eastern end of the world, beyond the sun and the ocean. What a voyage it turns out to be!

When I first read the chronicles of Narnia (in fifth grade), this was the one that captured my imagination the most. It's a book that is constantly exciting, each destination reached more incredible than the last. Such amazing creatures and concepts. There scary places, funny places, places where friends are made and lessons are learned. The descriptions are truly inspired. The ending, even now, leaves me spellbound every time. I can picture it so clearly. Wow!

As with all the Narnian Chronicles, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" has illustrations by Pauline Baynes, and these are just as evocative as Lewis' descriptions, enhancing them, making them more vivid. I particularly like the picture near the start of chapter ten, of the magician's hallway where Lucy is walking so timidly.

The characters are all great too. It's nice to see Caspian and Reepicheep again, as well as Edmund and Lucy. The chatacter Eustace is a fine invention. He's something of a brat and yet we like him, feel sorry for him when he gets in trouble, and like him better when he changes for the better later on.

C.S. Lewis was a devoted Christian, and all of his work relate back to his beliefs to some extent. Although there is a great deal more emphasis on adventure and fantasy here, there are still allegory and parallels to be drawn if you're looking for them. Eustace's adventures are particularly interesting. He finds fault in everything except himself, who has more obvious faults in his character. He means to be helpful, but he can't really be helpful until he gets rid of his own flaws first. This is rather reminiscent of Jesus' saying "take the plank out of your own eye so you can see clearly to see the speck in your brother's eye". There is a part where he's transformed into a dragon, and he realises the ugliness of his actions. Aslan the Lion helps him by showing him to a well in which to bathe (rather similar to baptism). Before he can bathe, Eustace must shed his ugly skin (his rotten ways), something that he can't do, no matter how he tries. It is only with Aslan's help that he becomes free of them. In christianity, it is through Christ that believers shed their old worldly ways, similar to this. A lot of the allegory, I noticed, had to do with the nature of God, the nature of Christ and being a believer rather than any particular specific event.

Although "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is number 5 in the "official reading order", rather late in the series, the only books that are really essential to read are "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian". "Prince Caspian" in particular, as several of the characters (Caspian, Reepicheep) and plot threads (the king's lost men) are in this.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans and lovers of the work of C.S. Lewis.

The Voyage, April 12, 2002
C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia as a series for children, but it is clearly as imaginative and planned as any popular adult fiction. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the fifth book of the series and tells the story of Lucy, Edmund, Prince Caspian and the irritable Eustace. These old friends sail on a rickety boat named the Dawn Treader. As they travel in search of the lost land of Aslan, they encounter many unforgettable situations. Aslan is a magical lion that helps the creatures of Narnia keep peace with the other wicked creatures. Lucy learns when to use her magical healing water, and Eustace learns tobe forgiving and generous. Eustace claims he was kidnapped because while journeying to the Narnian world, Edmund and Lucy brought him along by mistake. Throughout the trip Eustace keeps a journal that C.S. Lewis shares with the reader occaisonally. While keeping the journal Eustace realizes that he has been quite a bother along the voyage. From the beginning of the story, Caspian has been searching for distant relatives of his Father. As he finds them, he uncovers mysteries and facts of his past.
I really enjoyed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader because C.S. Lewis portrayed characters that I can relate to. The adventure in the story keeps you reading and thje humor makes you laugh.

"Thrilling", June 1, 2006
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a stand out among the books in Lewis' excellent series. There are several elements in this book that distinguish it from the books that chronologically precede it. Old characters are put away and new characters (some humans, no less) emerge in importance, there is an absence of a monolithic evil antagonist, and no part of this story actually occurs in "Narnia." Lewis demonstrates a mastery for tension and suspense in this book that is not so apparent in the others, and when reading this one I noticed more moments when my kids' eyes were wide-open with anticipation (e.g., what will happen to Lucy at the end of that strange hallway, what are those threatening invisible thumpers, and will the Dawn Treader ever sail out of the nightmarish blackness?). At bottom, this is a classic and well-done journey story, in which pilgrims put their lives in a fragile boat and sail into the unknown, first to rescue seven loyal heroes and, eventually, to find the Thing greater than them all (that's Jesus, for the honest reader). Aslan makes his many usual appearances, with a strengthening of the concept that he is always present and always in control, no matter whether our human characters know it or take comfort in the knowledge. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the reader gets to see the Lion revealed as the Lamb in a candid moment. If you tried The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and you are considering trying one more Narnia volume - try this one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time—a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks—unless the killer decides to find her first…
... Read more

Reviews

Avid Reviewer and Reader, May 3, 2005
Dead as a Doornail is the fifth installment in Charlaine Harris' dynamic Sookie Stackhouse series. Sookie, the buxom, blond, barmaid from Bon Temps is once again thrust into things that she should not be. Her psychic abilities make her a magnet for the supernatural world.

At the conclusion of the Dead to the World, Eric has regained his self, but remembers nothing of his time with Sookie. Jason, Sookie's brother has been found, but is now a werepanther. Dead as a Doornail opens with Jason experiencing his first full moon as a werepanther. Amazingly enough, Jason embraces his new life and enjoys shifting. As much of a relief as this is for Sookie, trouble is looming. Someone is killing shifters and Jason is the prime suspect. To add to Sookie's turmoil, Eric does not remember his time with Sookie, but knows something important happened. In another twist, Debbie's family is desperately searching for her. This search finds its way to Sookie's doorstep once again.

In Dead as a Doornail we get a much clearer picture of the shifter communities - the werewolves and werepanthers. Sookie is drawn into the political struggles within the werewolf pack structure. The outcome is not a happy ending for Sookie or werewolves. Calvin Norris, the head of the werepanthers in Hot Shot continues to attempt to woo Sookie. Another love interest is most certainly not something Sookie needs in her already complicated love life.

I enjoyed reading Dead as a Doornail immensely. Sookie and her adventures are always a treat. The only drawback to this book is that Sookie and the reader become very disappointed when knowledge of certain character defects becomes evident within those close to Sookie. All of the characters, old and new, add flavor to the series and make Sookie's madcap adventures even more entertaining. On the whole, Dead as a Doornail is a fun read.

Charlaine Harris is the author of four previous Sookie Stackhouse novels; Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, and Dead to the World. She is also the author of two popular mystery novel series, the Aurora Tegarden series and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series. Dead as a Doornail will be published May 3, 2005.

Let's all get shot! Let's all kiss Sookie!, July 29, 2005
The action doesn't let up in this one. Another major character's in the hospital before the previous one leaves. And pretty much every male in the book except Claude the gay fairy (no, that's not redundant) makes some sort of romantic overture to Sookie, and even he asks her for a personal favor!

If you haven't read the previous book in this series, you should do that. I'll wait while you order "Dead to the World" (ISBN: 0441012183). There, back? OK, once you've caught up, you'll know that in that episode, Eric the vampire lost his memory, stayed at Sookie's place, and got real close. When he regained his memory, however, he did not remember any details of his interlude with Sookie. So...

Sam's has a new cook - seems to happen almost every volume. Tara has a new boyfriend - also seems to happen regularly. But then the shooting starts:
*Calvin Norris gets shot, seriously injured.
*Sam gets shot, in the leg.
*Sookie gets shot, a shoulder graze.
*Dawson, a Were bodyguard, gets shot, seriously injured.

And then, in terms of who's who vis a vis Sookie:
*Calvin Norris is still interested in Sookie, and in fact they do get in a serious kiss, which surprises Sookie.
*Claudine kisses Sookie a couple times, though, since she's Sookie's fairy godmother, what that might mean is ambiguous. Claudine certainly plays up a hint to others that it might be serious, when such a suggestion is useful.
*Charles Twining, the new bartender at Fangtasia, is intensely interested in Sookie, although respectful.
*Eric is still interested in Sookie, though he's not sure why, and he wants to find out what went on, and he does kiss Sookie again in this book.
*Even good ol' Vampire Bill gets in a few licks, including sharing (innocently, this time) Sookie's hospital bed.
*Alcide Herveax, the Were, attempts to continue his courtship of Sookie, sort of, escorting her to the sort of thing where other people will assume one's intentions are serious. (If you recall, they were once engaged for 10 minutes.)
*And the one we've been waiting for - Sam kisses Sookie, and it might have gone further... yes, admit it, you've been expecting Sookie to finally realize that Sam more than just admires her as a barmaid for several volumes now!!

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me what the sudden intersection with one of Harris's other series, a straightforward mystery series which has heretofore had no hints of fantasy. Lily Bard, who lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas, has been the heroine of such books as "Shakespeare's Christmas" and "Shakespeare's Trollop" and in this book she pops up, having finally married Jack Leeds (isn't that a great name for a PI? Leeds?) as they are investigating Debbie Pelt's disappearance. It's odd seeing Lily referred to as Lily Leeds, after years of seeing her as Lily Bard. Anyway, for those who have only been reading Harris's vampire books, now you are informed that those two characters, who pop up for a couple of chapters here, are actually a whole 'nother series, one I recommend to those who read non-fantasy as well as fantasy.

Other fun bits to watch for - how Greg Aubert's insurance customers stay so lucky; Andy Bellefleur and Sookie finally air some things out; Quinn, who doesn't exactly... kiss... Sookie, and what kind of shifter he turns out to be.

That should be enough teasers to get you all busy!

And, for those just finding out about this series, a few notes on how it compares to the overall vampire genre, a/k/a BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification: What is the vampires' position in the world; do they stand as an allegory for women's sexual fears; what powers do the vampires have; are there other supernatural characters; is the author dead serious, if you'll pardon the pun, or have a sense of humor? The answers, in this case: The vampires in this series can be either good or bad guys. Most of them have jobs; they don't exist merely to be evil and brooding, unlike some series which shall remain unnamed. They do have extra powers; in general these powers include the usual super strength, and once undead, they live very long lives; they can sorta force people to do their will; they need invitations to enter a house; there's no turning into bats. They are good at sneaking off silently, sorta melting away, but no invisibility or seeping like smoke between walls. These vampires' taking of blood frequently involves sex, but doesn't have to; they do need human blood to survive, unlike some (P.N. Elrod's vampires can survive quite well on animal blood, for example) except for Bubba, who gets by on cats' blood - but then, Bubba is... different. There are many other species of supernaturals besides vampires, the most common of which are the Were and shifters. In this universe, Were is reserved for those who turn into wolves, and everyone else is a "shape-shifter" - except for the werepanthers in the tiny hamlet of Hotshot, who are a special and peculiar case. And yes, there's a lot of humor in this series. It's not farce; it's that the characters themselves have senses of humor.

One of the things that I like about this series is that we get a fairly strong sense of "place" - it's very clear that we're in semi-rural Louisiana; we wouldn't mistake the setting for Cincinnati or Chicago if the author forgot to give us a name. There is a community and a background here, that have a life of their own even when the characters aren't doing much. I like that better than series such as Hamilton's, set in what is nominally St. Louis, but could be anywhere, since we never learn a single street name, a single detail about the social life other than our characters, or any idea of what else happens in that city. That's a personal preference - you may not care whether the setting is as fully realized as the characters. I feel it affects my opinion of how "realisticallly" the characters behave, at least within the degree of suspension of disbelief that we have to accept the fantasy at all.

In short: a must if you're following the series, a good series to try if you like vampire novels that don't stick to evil, brooding creee-chures of ze niiiight, and it's also a good murder mystery.

Bill and Eric take a back seat in this one..., May 23, 2005
Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic waitress in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Her ability to read minds keeps the normal people away from her. They fear her ability, even those who claim not to believe in it. However, the vampires and other supernatural beings flock to her.

Her brother, Jason, has recently been bitten by a werepanther. Once he makes his first shift, Jason finds that he enjoys his new ability. Problem is that a sniper has begun shooting the local shifters and Jason's new brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Sookie and her friends have until the next full moon to find out who the real sniper is.

Sam, Sookie's boss, is one of the shifters who has been shot. Unable to tend his bar, Sam has Sookie go to Eric for a temporary bar tender. Charles, a vampire, begins work the very next night. Charles is soon protecting Sookie. Seems someone is trying to kill her for simply associating with supernatural beings. If all this is not enough, the local packleader has died. Sookie must attend the funeral, as well as, witness the competition that will select the new packleader.

**** The vampires Bill and Eric take a back seat and play only secondary roles in this installment of the series. Focus is kept mainly on the shifters and the sniper. Author Charlaine Harris has a winning series with this cast of characters! Harris makes the night come alive with her imaginative, supernatural, and dark shrouded community. As usual, I find myself longing for Sookie's next adventure. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Sookie Wins Again!, May 7, 2005
I am finding the Sookie Stackhouse novels to be very entertaining and amusing. They are a hybrid cross between romance and the supernatural. This book brings some of the other secondary characters from previous novels back in and then some. Sookie is dealing with Eric who still doesn't remember their tryst, but seems to be figuring it out. Bill seems concerned, but knows he's pretty much out the door. Sam is shot which brings in Eric's bartender as a sub. Alcide the werewolf is flirting around with Sookie and visiting now and then. Entertaining and light hearted.

A bit disappointing., May 3, 2005
This the 5th Sookie Stackhouse book in the Southern Vampire Series seems to be nothing much more than a place holder in the series.

I was rather disappointed by the fact that every supernatural male seems to want Sookie. Its getting a bit old, really, doesn't some male want to kill her? Several females have tried, but no males have been serious about it, rather they seem to be appologetic. Even the villain who is supposed to kill her doesn't really want to, its more of a matter of honor for him to finish the job!

I was disappointed about the lack of resolution over the Sookie, defending herself in the last book, the theme drags on through the entire book and is never resolved.

My last issue is what looks like the lead into the Bill/Sookie/Eric love triangle, or some other combination including one of Sookie's vamps and maybe some were. This is getting a bit annoying really. These last two sentences lead me to my chief complaint... I felt bored. I wasn't engaged, the story didn't suck me and make me want to keep reading. I felt I did have to keep reading, after all I did buy the book. Wish I'd waited till it was on paperback, not that it's a bad book, its just not worth hardcover price to me.

On the other hand the book is seemingly error free but I read it while dealing with frequent interruptions. On the whole its not a bad story just a boring one that doesn't inspire a 2nd read.

I agree!, September 11, 2005
"I have read all the books in this series and loved every one. I particularly like the way the character of Sookie Stackhouse matures and becomes increasingly self confident and self reliant in each book. And the books get better with each one. I don't need sex scenes in a book to enjoy it, and quite frankly, that's one reason I only read about 20 pages of one Anita Blake book-then never read another. That particular series is an insult to intelligence. I read for enjoyable characterizations, wit, and charm."

This was one of the reviews from a reviewer and I have to say, I totally agree.

I perfer Charlain over LKH in many ways. The characters are much more vibrant and likable. Another excellent author that just as good as Ms. Harris is D.N. Simmons, fans should check her out, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Another excellent installment in the Southern Vampire series, May 14, 2005
Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic barmaid in rural Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has been shunned by her community for her seeming "otherness" but when she meets a vampire named Bill, she is ushered into a semi-secret supernatural community in a very big way. Dead as a Doornail is the fifth book in the series. Basically, it ties up several loose ends from the fourth book (Dead to the World), addresses some interesting current events, and sets the stage for book number six. I won't try to recap the plot, as it has been done more than adequately by Publisher's Weekly (see above) and by other reviewers.

By the time I got about one-third of the way through the book, I decided that plot-wise, Dead as a Doornail was perhaps not as strong as the previous four books in the series. However, I soon understood that the plot is actually quite strong, and in addition, this book covered some material that made the previous books all the richer and paved the way for new developments. Some might call this a "bridge" book; I personally don't think that's a bad thing. There was more than plenty going on, much character development, and it was a whole lot of fun. I do think the next book in the series will be all the better for it.

I agree with the reviewer who cautions readers to take Sookie on her own terms. Despite the plethora of handsome and available men, Sookie isn't Anita. And I am grateful for that. It is true that as the series has unfolded, we have seen that Sookie is a very fine person but that her abilities have put her at odds with her fellow humans, so wouldn't she look to the supernatural community for love? With regard to the lack of sex in this book: isn't that a good thing? It seems to me that Sookie is waiting for the right man to come along. Sure, she has plenty of suitors, but she's basically a good girl who wants lasting love and a family, and unfortunately, she hasn't found Mr. Right yet.

I would like to take issue with one thing: in Dead to the World, the possibility of a romance between Kevin and Kenya was brought up, and then ignored in Dead as a Doornail. Now, is that nice? :)

Excellent as always, May 6, 2005
This is the latest in a series of vampire mystery romances (using the term loosely). Sookie Stackhouse is a blonde, lowly-educated, telepathic barmaid. She's also reluctantly involved with the werewolves, shifters, fairies, witches and vampires near her rural Southern home. Her brother has been turned into a werepanther and is suspected of being a serial killer, so Sookie has to find the real killer before her brother is falsely accused. Meanwhile, a sniper is out to kill the shifters, people close to her are injured, her house needs extensive repairs, and all she really wants to do is pay her bills. Oh, and there's a were succession fight, several new vampires, and her first love vampire Bill shows up again...

Some reviewers have expressed a dislike of the paranormal men who seem to be attracted to Sookie. To me it all seemed very logical. We know Sookie is pretty, blonde and attractively built. However, normal human men shun her because she's "crazy". The paranormal men know she's very, very special and that's what's so attractive about her. Alcide (werewolf) and Calvin (werepanther) don't want to marry another werewolf and regional werepanther, respectively. They're both attracted to Sookie because she's not from their communities, yet she knows about them (not to mention she's nice and smells good...) Bill and Eric (vampires) both want her, Bill as her ex and Eric because there's something about Sookie he just can't resist (perhaps because she resists him?). Quinn (can't tell you what he is, it'd be a spoiler) likes her because she's smart, brave and tastes good. Sam (shifter) has worked with her for more than 3 years, and he's always been attracted to her. So to me, it seems like of logical. She's really pretty, she knows that werewolves, shifters, etc. exist, her blood tastes special, she's valiant and loyal, and she's special in her own way.

By the way, Sookie doesn't get tangled up with any of her admirers in this book, she's nice and single.

Great fun!, June 24, 2005
A friend recommended the Sookie Stackhouse books a year ago and I only got around to them this spring. I knocked through all of them in about 4 weeks along side a few of another vampire series. I totally enjoyed the universe Charlaine Harris has skilly created. Her blending of reality and paranormal fits well enough that you have little trouble believing in it. I found Sookie charming and quirky and the vampires and other-worldly creatures interesting and compelling.

"Dead as a Doornail" easily rates up there with the others. I found NO disappointment in it and rather enjoyed the digression away from the vampire-focus and into the weres and shifters. I was particularly glad to see Alcide again (yummy), though I was less than satisfied with how their relationship was left hanging. Then again, if she resolves it we don't get to see him again! What's the saying? Leave 'em wanting more? Well I want more!

A truly enjoyable read with non-graphic violence that I appreciate!

Furry Trouble, August 10, 2005
Charlaine Harris has developed such a unique twist on the vampire genre that she has already begun to attract imitators, but she owns the vampire/back country/chick lit storyline completely. I read her first several years ago for laughs, but now I keep coming back to her stories of dought Sookie Stackhouse - waitress, vampire date, and telepath. What makes Sookie special is her attitude and brand of courage. Anyone who has had a vampire lover or two, hangs out with weres, and braves the slings and arrows of a Louisiana country town like Bon Temps deserves plenty of respect.

Now that vampire Bill is her ex-boyfriend, and temporary lover Eric is at arms length you would expect Sookie to have a few moments of peaces, but no such luck. Her brother Jason has been bitten by a were panther and, come full moon, he crosses into the world of the shapeshifters. He adapts well, but someone is hunting the weres of Bon Temps, and the panther clan suspects that Jason might be hiding resentments behind his winsome smile.

Sookie tries to go to the rescue, but in the process winds up enmeshed in a power struggle in the nearby werewolf pack. Alcide invites her to the funeral of the pack leader in an effort to influence members to favor his father, but the idea nearly backfires, leaving Sookie deeply disgusted with the whole thing. And one top of that, someone tries to burn down her house with Sookie in it. Possibly as revenge for the woman she had to kill in the last book, but it's hard to tell.

As you can see, a lot happens here. It would be a dark and serious tale, but Sookie, as narrator has a way of pushing back the darkness. Almost making the story a Southern cozy until you remember that a quarter of her friends bite other people on a regular basis. Don't fall for the marketing ploy that compares Harris with Laurell Hamilton. Even when the story gets a bit spicy, it never approaches the steamy scenes of recent Hamilton writing, and Sookie has shown no interest in SM or corpse raising. Sookie doesn't have a cause, she really just wants a normal life, but there doesn't seem to be one available.

This isn't great literature, but enjoyable entertainment. A pleasant pastime in the occult world of the rural South in a world where vampires are legal. Heck! Why not? ... Read more