Owlsight (Valdemar: Darian's Tale, Book 2)

Book Description

It has been four years since Darian saw his village sacked and burned by barbarians. Taking refuge with the Hawkbrothers, he soon finds his life's calling--as a Healing Adept. But even as he learns the mystical ways of this ancient race, Darian cannot escape the dangers threatening his future. Another tribe of barbarians is approaching. The time has come...to stand up and fight.

Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon are:

"An unbeatable team in fantastic magic and adventure."--Kliatt

* A national bestselling series--now with all three volumes available to fans

Customer Reviews:

Her style is starting to grate on me.......2005-05-09

This book is not terrible, but compared to a lot of other fantasy on the market, and even some of her other books, it lacks something. Like most of her other work, this starts out slow, but unlike those others it never really picks up the pace. 75% of the book is just introducing characters and following them through their day, and even when the "action" begins, it isn't really much. A frustratingly high amount of the book is detailed description of things that don't need to be described in detail and following the characters though the process of them coming to terms with something. "Maybe this is the case. But then again, maybe this. And this could be it. I've never thought of that." Way too much of the book is telling us what someone is thinking like that. Something that really bugs me too is the extreme overuse of italics to put emphasis on words. She literally does this three or four times per page. It's just as annoying as a writer who uses exlamation points all the time. You don't need to emphasize everything, or else it loses its effect.

I was apprehensive when I began reading the Valdemar books because the pretty horses on the cover made me think these books might be aimed towards kids or girls who dream about ponies. For most of the series, I didn't feel like that was the case, but in this series I do. There is something indescribable about the style that makes me think this was not intended for adults. It just doesn't seem suited for an adult intellect.

Going from bad to worse.......2003-02-21

I first picked up the Darian's Tale series because I thought that any fantasy author who takes up a great deal of shelf space in bookstores and libraries, as Mercedes Lackey always does, must be at least a competent writer. Of course, you would think that after my unfortunate encounters with Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind I would have learned my lesson. Anyway, "Owlflight" was mediocre, but "Owlsight" is much, much worse. There's much discussion among fans of the genre about the fact that many of the most popular authors can't seem to find a decent editor. "Owlsight" is an excellent showcase of this trend. The book is rife with errors in grammar and punctuation. There are awkward sentences ("There just wasn't enough readily available magic energy available to do such a task.") and inapt metaphors ("She felt as if her nerves had been rubbed raw and somebody was pouring saltwater on them.") The writing feels completely shoddy and hasty, especially when we get descriptions of people's clothes that go on for pages and sound more gaudy and tasteless than anything that the most incompetent fashion designer could come up with, or when we have to endure speeches about various trite morals, such "war is bad" and "judging people is bad". Normally editors are supposed to flag down all of this. When authors grow powerful enough to muscle past the editorial process, they risk embarrassing themselves, which is certainly what happened to Lackey and Dixon in "Owlsight".

If we look past the lousy writing, what do we find? Not much. I complained that the plot of "Owlflight" was slow. In this book, it's almost nonexistent. The first three-hundred pages are spent entirely on introducing the two main characters and showing us many, many, many scenes of them chatting with friends, eating, and otherwise going through the motions of an ordinary day. We have Darian, who's still hanging out with the Hawkbrothers and endlessly ruminating about unworthy and inferior he is. And then we have the healer Keisha, who is hanging out in Errold's Grove and endlessly ruminating about how unworthy and inferior she is. The new army of barbarians doesn't show up until almost the end of the book, and the authors' method for dealing with them sounds forced and unrealistic. After four-hundred-and-fifty pages, "Owlsight" limps to a close without giving us a proper climactic showdown, or even a single action scene. At no point do we ever get a decent portrait of any character. You would think that right before a showdown with a large and possibly dangerous army, these teenagers would be at least a little bit nervous, right. But in "Owlsight", they act like it's a walk in the park.

I don't think that I'll even bother reading the final volume of this syrupy series. After all, don't we all know how it's going to end? Darian and Keisha will fall madly in love, but it will somehow take them several hundred pages to express their feeling for each other. Meanwhile, a new bunch of bad guys will show up from somewhere, but our heroes will once again find a clever way to deal with them, and all will be right with the world. Yawn. I have better things to do with my time than sitting around reading predictable claptrap like this.

Could've been better............2002-11-13

Owl Sight is the continuing tale of the life of Darian a Tayledras-trained mage. It is also the story of Keisha, a farmer's daughter-turned healer. (This book is the sequel to Owl flight, for those who haven't read it!)

Darian, who has been in training with the Tayledras for over four years has mastered his gift and is now ready to return to Errold's grove as the town wizard. Together with his companions, the Hawkbrothers, and his newfound friend, Keisha, he establishes a settlement for his new community right outside the village. Together, with the villagers, and the Heralds of Valdemar, they prepare to fight their greatest challenge - an invading force of barbarians.

While I liked Owl Sight, I found the plot a bit rambling. I did not like the 'switching perspectives' between Darian and Keisha, and there wasn't a lot of action. Also, I felt both Keisha and Darian suffered from 'super hero' syndrome. Both characters are way to mature and perfect to be human, and thus were almost boring.. Darian was at times almost insufferably wise and brilliant, doing everything from lecturing elders, to designing his own settlement, all at the ripe age of 18! (I winced when Darian was giving his teachers relationship and teaching advice ).

I was also disappointed to see very little of Snowfire, Darian's mentor. He faded into the background to become just another of Darian's spear-carrier in this books, with no voice of his own. >Sigh <. Overall, a good, but somewhat predictable read.

"The barbarians are coming, the barbarians are coming!".......2002-01-15

Don't be completely dismayed by the two stars: I try to avoid rate inflation and only give five stars to something extraordinary. Even at the height of her writing abilities, I wouldn't give any of her novels more than a four. At this point, though, I've started buying Misty's novels more out of love of Jody A. Lee's cover art and misguided hope for improvement than real expectation of quality. As a friend said, her novels have grown formulaic--which wouldn't be insurmountable if they didn't derive more from the flaws of their prequels than their strengths. Characters are not so much shallowly depicted as they are simply uninteresting and even old friends like Kerowyn and Firesong are blander than stale pita bread. Other than glop about Keisha and Darien's personal lives, plot doesn't kick in until more than halfway through, when the "barbarian" horde everyone had been going on about finally arrives.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the xenophobia of the Hawkbrothers. For people who complained about what goody goodies the characters were, I can't subscribe to that view myself--maybe it just seems that way because the only viewpoints we really get are theirs and they never ask themselves whether their views might be wrong. "Owlsight" is the most ethnocentric of the Velgarth books to date: this in spite of the fact that the characters displaying the xenophobia comprise a host of different humans and non-humans (Taleydras, Valdemarans, Heralds, Companions, gryphons, dyheli, kyree, tervardi, etc.) all of whom appear incapable of conceiving that the "barbarian" horde approaching might be no more barbaric than they themselves. Perhaps Lackey thought without this blindsidedness there wouldn't be much of a story, but she handled it somewhat unbelievably. For example, Darian is shocked at the notion that Northern tribes might be as different from one another as Taleydras and Valdemarans, as if he had truly never thought of it before. For all the passages Lackey expends on their endless, "indepth" discussions, this implies that Darian's thinktank of friends and colleagues is doing a childishly pathetic job.

A pathetic job indeed. There is a great deal in this book that goes flagrantly against the message of previous novels in this series. The Heralds, who should be acting as third parties, make things worse. One might expect them to at least remark on the usage of the term "barbarian" but they adopt it themselves without question. Nor do Kerowyn and Eldan make an effort to uphold the Valdemaran motto "There is no one true way." Regardless of the fact that the Ghost Cat tribe has not done anything wrong, there is no attempt to contact them on decent terms. Instead the big plan is to "pull a Cortez" and pretend to be spirit people so as to overawe them.

Even then, when the tribe does nothing wrong and, according to Valdemaran law as depicted in previous books, they have done nothing undeserving of the free sanction of their people, the Valdemaran/Taleydras alliance does not appear to make any follow-up on communications with them. Instead, there is discussion of burning the entire tribe to death to avoid the sickness they carry. It would be one thing if this option were coached as a last-ditch course of action: however, Kerowyn discusses it casually and seems to consider it their first. Kerowyn is portrayed in pretty poor terms all around: when the Healers under her command discuss possible steps they might take for healing the "barbarians," she bursts in on them in an immature fashion, yelling that they are stupid for even thinking of such a thing, apparently unable to tell apart discussion from action and forgetting that it is in fact her Healers' *jobs* to think about this stuff. However, the Healers are also not without flaw when one makes a distasteful remark about being reluctant to heal people who eat their food raw--something that a Healer simply would not be capable of saying in Lackey's world as it has been portrayed till now.

Not only is there a breakdown in communication with the tribe but within the Valdemaran-Taleydras ranks as well...for no good reason. Leaving aside the ethical questions of kidnapping a "barbarian" for medical experiments without even asking if anyone with the disease would like to volunteer, what is it that prevents Keisha and Darien from mentioning it to their friends? They could easily get their little scheme okayed, considering all the callousness that these people have demonstrated towards the "barbarians." The kidnapping is then followed by a forcible mental "language transaction" that basically amounts to what Lackey has in the past referred to as "mindrape." Keisha and Darian, however, do not give it a moment's thought.

All this is not to say that this xenophobia might not have been a valuable element of the book. It was certainly the most interesting. The problem is that it wasn't handled well at all: it was overwritten to the point of unbelievability, and it wasn't explored as it could have been. Characters hold their xenophobic views without change. No one plays Devil's Advocate (beyond Darian's superficial speech about wanting to drop women and children off of cliffs but knowing that he has to wait and see the tribe before he does) and so, until the kidnapping of Hywel, there is no real sense of another side, and then it is too late to provide anything interesting. All is apparently justified by the ease with which parties interact in the next book, "Owlknight," when "barbarian" appears to be a word of the past and Ghost Cat lives in peaceable coexistence with the Taleydras-Valdemarans. There is no reference to the process which has made this possible and which could have provided some real meat for the book. Instead it becomes merely glossed over and pointless: an exercise in prejudice and xenophobia without rhyme, reason or reward.

Give her a break..........2001-11-24

Yes, I know ML can do MUCH better work than she's put out in the "Owl" series, many of us have read it in the Vanyel and Arrows series, to name a couple, but she is only human, and we can't expect her to give off masterpieces like those constantly can we? In my opinion this book has some characters with good potential, it's just they were poorly developed. I found the climax a little disapointing, too quick and easily done. But again, ML can't go creating mage storms and wars at every turn. I think my biggest disapointment was the way she brought across old characters--most specifically Kerowyn. When I saw she was brought into this I couldn't have been happier, Kero being one of my favorites, but she came with little of the dry wit and humor I loved her for, and came across rather flat. Same with Firesong. They both lost some of the essance that made them two extremely memorable, enjoyable characters in MLs world. So if you want to read some average writing, with okay characters, go ahead and read this. But if your only interested in MLs master works, or love Kero and the rest of the old characters as much as I do, don't bother. You'll only be disapointed.

Darian's Tale Trilogy: Owlflight + Owlsight + Owlknight

Average customer rating:

Darian's Tale Trilogy: Owlflight + Owlsight + Owlknight
Mercedes Lackey , and Larry Dixon
Manufacturer: Daw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U9B7Q2

Average customer rating:

Darian's Tale Trilogy: Owlflight + Owlsight + Owlknight
Mercedes Lackey , and Larry Dixon
Manufacturer: Daw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UXCNA2

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Owlsight
Mercedes Lackey Larry Dixon
Manufacturer: Daw Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPF3CM

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Owlsight :Dariens Tale 2
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: PENGUIN PUTNAM * TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VRPS0Y

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OWLSIGHT.
Mercedes & Larry Dixon. Lackey
Manufacturer: DAW Books,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYZON2

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Owlsight

Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0606275738

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Owlsight
Mercedes; Dixon, Larry Lackey
Manufacturer: Daw Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OUYWK0

Rejar (Timeswept)
Average customer rating:

Oohhh...He's A Magic Man!

Which Cat-man do you prefer?

Playfully Amusing!

Another Pure Joy!

Magical Man from Another Planet Finds Love in Regency England
Rejar (Timeswept)
Dara Joy
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Time Travel | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Knight of a Trillion Stars (Futuristic Romance)

Mine to Take (Futuristic Romance)

High Energy

High Intensity

Ritual of Proof

ASIN: 050552337X

Amazon.com

Women love their cats! In Dara Joy's much awaited new book, Lilac Devere has the best of both worlds. She meets Rejar, an immortal "shape-changer" who can take two forms--man or cat. Incredibly sexual and sensitive to women, these shape-changers travel through time, appearing primarily to make love to women. When Rejar finds himself in Regency England in cat form, he makes the most of both forms in Lilac's bedroom and in the salons as one of Lord Byron's friends. Lucky Lilac never has to choose between man and beast!

Customer Reviews:

Oohhh...He's A Magic Man!.......2007-04-24

Really enjoyable read. There were times however, when I wanted to slap the crap out of Lilac the leading lady. Her attitude got really annoying at times, but she slowly got better. Rejar however WAS "the cat's meow." Sexy, hot, funny I wouldn't mind curling up with a man like him. Mmmeeeeeooooowwwww baby!

Buy the book, it's worth the full price. For more good reads and not so good reads...check out my other reviews!

Which Cat-man do you prefer?.......2007-04-06

Gain Ren of Mine to Take, Rejar, or Ravyn of Dark Side of the Moon (by Sherrilyn Kenyon)? I'm captivated by all three. I love their dual natures! But Rejar is hot, hot, hot!! This story is the best of the three, by far.

Rejar was certainly not the story I expected. Imagine being stalked by a space alien, and finally forced to marry the alien, only to discover him to be a very kinky man - at a time and an age (Regency England) where people just didn't DO those things sexually (and talk about it in public)! You might think you'd been bewitched, or that you were loosing your sanity to carnal feelings and desires that were not 'natural' and hating yourself (and your lover) for it. Get's a little complicated, doesn't it?

There were times when the book made me very uncomfortable. Poor Lilac. There was a vague 'Lolita' feel to the book, with a sexually self-confident male and awakening teenager. If Rejar had been less charming, Lilac's lack of choice in the matter would have converted the story from a romance to a horror story. At times I objected to the situation. Rejar makes a few cultural faux pas; and they don't really talk while he's courting her. Lilac is a blue-stoking: no friends, little liking for the social scene of the London ton, and no sexual experience whatsoever. Rejar courts her in her dreams, and knows all her business, as her 'cat.' Do you expect me to believe that these lovers can establish mutual trust when they are not having anything but intercourse of a sexual nature with each other? Rightfully, Lilac resistes this Streetcar called Rejar based upon what she knew of Rejar's public personality. But Lilac is trapped, like cornered prey with no way out (similar to Lolita). She gets swept along by this sensual space alien, into a situation she has no way to understand, not having any real friends to talk it over with. Independent, embroidery-hating, Lilac rightfully, heart-wrenchingly has some adjustments to make in her unwanted marriage state to an alien who curtails her freedom. But the author deftly handles my objections. Lilac is a person with a great deal of innate sensuality (the so-called 'passionate' nature) - sensed by an alien keyed to that sort of thing. The space alien is very bright, able to learn English, learn enough of the social customs to manipulate a sweet girl into marriage (even carrying her kicking and screaming down the stairs on her wedding day), THEN he has to struggle with the fact that at bottom she's immature, from a period in time not able to accept 'differences,' much less time travel and space travel. It's a cagey and interesting situation for a guy that you are rooting for, and heroine you feel does everything right for who she is - including standing up for herself and not falling at his feet.

His brother comes along to help him, and offer timely advice. Other secondary characters are priceless - Jackie, and Aunt Agatha.

This is a GREAT science fiction story, cloaked as romance. One with contemporary sensibilities. Edgy. I've never seen a romance deal with the protagonist going from being a maiden to being a wife and struggling with coping as a couple. My only complaint (one that is becoming generic with this author) is that she doesn't have good, strong, WOMEN leads. When her girlish, or young women characters get married they seem to be relegated solely to motherhood and/or spousal duties - in other words, they fade away next to their male counterparts. Aunt Agatha, bless her, is the only WOMAN I've encountered in these books that has the interpersonal skills, intellect, and adventuresome spirit that would make a good model for where the female leads go after the romance has resulted in marriage. I'm going to make up an 'Aunt Agatha' button and put it on the shelf where this book goes - as a keeper! ;-)

Playfully Amusing!.......2006-09-28

When a story is both fun and sensual, it definitely steps into winning territory and Dara Joy's REJAR is clearly in that area. From beginning to end, Joy's story is well written, sleek, and funny. Yet, Dara Joy also includes a serious note when she describes the appalling social conditions so prevalent during the early part of nineteenth century England.

His name was Rejar ta'al Krue from the planet Aviara. He was descended from a telepathic arcane race known as the Familiar. Familiars were predatorily sensual. Ruthlessly, they lived to please . . . erotically. Surrounded in mystery, the race also had another remarkable trait: they were shape shifters. Effortlessly, Rejar ta'al Krue could change from man to cat!

When his brother was in trouble, Rejar had sacrificed himself. He had taken an ancient icon into the matrix and space and dimension had bent. Now, he found himself in this strange place known as "Ree Gen Cee Ing Land" and he must bide his time until the great mystic, Yaniff, found him. But how could Rejar survive in such a world? Regency England was a turbulent place. The indifference and suffering staggered him. Effectively, Lilac Devere was his only comfort in this uncomfortable land. He felt drawn to her in a way he had never experienced before. Familiars cherished and protected what was theirs and Lilac Devere was positively his! Her feminine energy drew him, intrigued him. At night when he took on his human form, his discoveries amazed him. Remarkably, Lilac had never been with a man before and excitedly Rejar realized that significance!

Lilac Devere absolutely loved her newfound cat. "Kit" was an adorable creature. He was delightfully large, playful, and even snuggled. Every morning she found him nestled under her blankets, and the little rascal could do the cutest things with his tongue!

How could that be? Lilac's new husband and the cat were one and the same and suddenly she realized she was losing him. What did he expect from her? She had given him all that she had. He had introduced her to her sensual side and she had given in to all his erotic demands. Tormenting, she thought, "Never play with something unless you know the danger of its bite."

Reviewer's Comments:
Author Dara Joy must own a cat, for she has the feline behavior down to a fine art and this prowess gives her story fresh breath. The cat's antics are so darn humorous that I embarrassingly found myself giggling aloud, in the dentist's office while reading REJAR! Of course, I have always been a sucker for the ultimate alpha male character and midway through Dara Joy introduces Rejar's half-brother, Traed Ta'al Yaniff. Now he really did catch my fancy! Does this guy have his own story? Definitely, my next assignment! Nice going Dara Joy you did a super job! Your love scenes are hot, effective and necessary. Theory foundation: Rejar ta'al Krue is a Familiar and Familiars live for the sensuous! Dara Joy's story may not be perfect, but it comes mighty close.
Grade: A-

MaryGrace Meloche.

Another Pure Joy!.......2006-08-31

I had allowed some of the reviews already posted here to keep me from reading this book for far too long. First, let me say that there are a total of four times the word `sultry' is used in this 400 page book. One use per 100 pages hardly strikes me as over-usage, and no Ms. Joy does not need to look for her thesaurus. Also, I did not find this heroine to be at all mean, or mean-spirited. (Can't say the same for the reviews which said these untrue things about this book.)

I liked this book extremely, on a great many levels. First, let me deal with the heroine, since I am just a bit irked at the reviews which kept me from reading this author's fine piece of work for too long. (I will not be trusting the opinion of those reviewers ever again.) All I can say is, if this heroine had reacted other than she did to her circumstances (being given like chattel in marriage, while no one listened to or responded to her own wishes for living her own life), she'd have been just too prissy for words.

In fact, had she reacted otherwise, I would have questioned whether she was bucking for a place on the cross. *G* She behaved exactly as I would expect someone to in her place (I've often wondered why women's fiction can't allow women to have more realistic reactions, instead of moving them through the same set of rehearsed `sit-up-and-beg' paces like a trained dog). But Lilac was resentful, and she refused to cooperate with her own subjugation, even if that subjugation came in a nice package (Rejar). It's only as she begins to learn that Rejar loves her that she can begin to trust herself to him, and the sharing of her life with him. This is completely logical, and right on the money. Kudos to Joy for throwing the cookie cutter out the window!

This story, like nearly all I've read by Joy, was wonderful because of her refusal to stick to the old pattern. God, I want this woman to get back to writing again! Joy has an extraordinary sense of what the reader really wants to read-not to `fit in' with someone else's torturously narrow ideas of how women do/should think, but what we really feel and think but no one ever talks about. And she does this with such a light touch, and such a sense of fun that it just astounds.

The only problems I had with this book were in the editing; the word `loose' where `lose' should have been (and once, `choose' instead of `chose'). Other than that, I think this was a book that will stand the test of time as a perennial reader favorite. Dara Joy manages to capture in this book the same kind of optimism that made Star Trek a favorite with people ranging from NASA Astronauts to fry cooks. The ending of the book was probably the most perfect ending I have ever read. (And after reading the ending of Ritual Of Proof, I wasn't sure it could be topped.)

The swordplay scenes are among the best written I've read. Most books I've read do so badly with these scenes that I skip them altogether. Here tension and suspense are maintained throughout. I also loved the stark comparisons Joy draws between Regency `Ing Land' *G* and Rejar's own world (which stands in here for more modern times). Even though it's one of my favorites to read about, I've often thought the Regency period was a particularly harsh and ugly one in many ways, and mourned that it wasn't written about more realistically, a story with some meat on it, so to speak.

Well this book has that, and it's delivered with such a light touch that you'll gobble it right up! (Won't even need steak sauce; it's ALREADY A-1. *G*) Ms. Joy is such a fine writer that I can't help stating here what a loss it is to readers that her talents are restrained due to her battles with her publisher. Really, the big bad corporate boys need to loosen their grip here; this writer has enormous popular potential, and instead of using good business sense and capitalizing on that, they're squirming over paying her what she's owed, when it amounts to no more than a drop in their corporate bucket (although it would no doubt be significant for an individual writer). They are losing more money than they are gaining here, and one can only wonder how long a business world that shoots itself in the foot like this can continue?

Well, enough of that. *G*

This book has:

a delicious hero
a spunky and believable heroine
wonderful supporting characters
a great storyline
tremendously talented writing

It truly does have it all; romance, sensuality, humor and even some meaty material. And I'm very grateful I ignored the negative reviews and read it. It's on my keeper shelf, where it will stay-until I reread it, and reread it, and reread it. . .*G*

Magical Man from Another Planet Finds Love in Regency England.......2006-02-26

The paranormal romance novel, REJAR by Dara Joy, was a pleasure to read. It is the sequel to KNIGHT OF A TRILLION STARS, continuing the story of the Familiar Rejar, a drop-dead gorgeous man with magical powers (including the ability to turn into a cat) who is sent tumbling through a time warp from his alien planet to Regency England. And in England, he meets Miss Lilac Devere, who takes him in, thinking he is a stray cat, never realizing that he is a 1000 percent determined to make her his.

At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like REJAR because the writing seemed a little stiff. But then I got into the story, odd language nuances and all, and had a fantastic time. Some scenes were just ridiculously hysterical, like the tell-all embroidery scene and the even funnier forced-wedding scene. And then some scenes were out-and-out yummy. This is one book where the author says the man is a master in the bedroom and isn't afraid to show you the scenes. Oh my gosh. As a lover, Rejar is definitely the stuff of fantasies.

On the downside, I too (like some other reviewers) was a little disappointed by the heroine, Lilac. She was very spunky at first, but kind of devolved into stubborn and immature later on. I also wondered how she could possibly ignore the fact that Rejar was a cat and had magical powers after he revealed himself to her. That was too unrealistic for me. However, on the bright side, Traed from KNIGHT OF A MILLION STARS makes an appearance, wetting my appetite for his book. I can't wait!

All in all, if you like romances - especially Regency romances - with a little magic and mayhem thrown in, you'll love REJAR. It'll definitely spice up your night.

Average customer rating:

Please be fair to Ms. Joy
Not Great!
A Bad Imitation
Dara Joy is one of the best romance writers!
Not up to par for Dara

That Familiar Touch
Dara Joy
Manufacturer: House of Sages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Wildcat Arrows
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The Night Before Christmas

ASIN: 0975354906

Product Description

This is the first new novel by Dara Joy in over two years. Meet new Familiars and their adventures as they travel to new worlds in Familiars Touch. In the second story Kirkpatrick's Woods watch as two people from very differnt walks of life have a sexual challenge that leads to much more. If you have been starved for more of Dara's work you need to rad this book. Which also includes fan letters and extras from the author herself.

Customer Reviews:

Please be fair to Ms. Joy.......2006-06-17

I think that Ms. Joy's books are fabulous. And A familiar touch and Wildcat Arrow are no exception. People are wondering about the covers. I totally agree. The covers are 'grotesque' for lack of a better word. I was on her website and she mentioned that a small publishing group (House of Sage) will be publishing her two books (above titles). I think because the publishing co.she's with now isn't as large as Dorchester Pub. and therefore doesn't have the means to make her book look like her others. It's really what the book is inside. I loved them both! As long as she continues to write I don't care if the cover page is blank. I am forever a devoted fan! GO DARA!

Not Great!.......2006-06-12

This received 2 stars due to Traed. Those were the only parts worth reading. Though they were brief and few, they were funny and typical Matrix of Destiny material. The rest just sucked. Sorry Dara, but do considering remedying things with Dorchester.

A Bad Imitation.......2006-06-08

At least I received this book even though it took around 6 months. Her newest in this series "Wildcat Arrows" was promised 3 months ago and I had to pay for it almost a year ago. At least she got her money up front. Shame on you Dara.

Dara Joy is one of the best romance writers!.......2005-08-17

Okay, so the second story lacked something...the first story in this two part book was incredible. If you love Dara Joy and her books about those delicious familiars, this will get your heart racing. It's a lot of money to spend, but I feel it's worth it.

Not up to par for Dara.......2005-06-30

I bought this book thinking it would be like her other books, a joy to read. I was disappointed. It was a sad imitation of Dara Joy on story line that had the potential to be good.

5 - DARA JOY - REJAR - MINE TO TAKE - KNIGHT OF A TRILLION STARS - RITUAL OF PROOF - HIGH ENERGY

Average customer rating:

5 - DARA JOY - REJAR - MINE TO TAKE - KNIGHT OF A TRILLION STARS - RITUAL OF PROOF - HIGH ENERGY
DARA JOY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RF0H6A

Product Description

**** ($3.99 USA POSTAGE FOR ALL 5 BOOKS, WHICH WILL BE MAILED AT THE MEDIA - BOOK RATE WHICH IS SLOW SURFACE MAIL, 7 - 21 DAYS DELIVERY TIME).

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REJAR
DARA JOY
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K8QSXU

Book Description

The dying Empire's most cunning and ruthless warlord--Grand Admiral Thrawn--has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republic's destruction. With the aid of unimaginable weapons long hidden away by the Emperor on a backwater planet, Thrawn plans to turn the tide of battle, overwhelm the New Republic, and impose his iron rule throughout the galaxy. Meanwhile, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republican Council--only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies. Yet most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past, consumed by bitterness... and scheming to corrupt Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Grand Admiral Thrawn attacks the New Republic on many fronts. He forces
our intrepid band of heroes to flee assassins, and Leia takes off with
Chewie, and Han goes looking for help by himself.

The dodgy Mara Jade is also floating around, as is a not so nice Jedi Master.

Whoever controls the 'Dark Force' of ancient ships in the end will have a massive advantage in the battle for the galaxy.

Author captures the epic spirit of Star Wars space opera.......2007-05-22

As far as post-Return of the Jedi novels about Luke, Han and Leia go, Timothy Zahn's breakthrough Thrawn Trilogy is the best.

As for the best novels from the era of the movie saga, I highly recommend the following 5-star novels:

Cloak of Deception (Star Wars)
Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul)
Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)

A Star Wars Fix.......2007-01-19

Do you hate George Lucas for ruining his own creation like I do? I mean, Star Wars, the defining mythology of at least two generations, the story of heroes and redemption has become the joke of our times. How could it not? Did you see that idiot, Anakin, scratching his way up the hill, beaten and burned, destined to become the shell for James Earl Jones's ominous basso voice? Did it make you groan? Did it make you want to set fire to the Skywalker Ranch? Am I alone?

Now, I'm not a Star Wars Geek. I don't play the roleplaying game. Never have. I don't have the library of tie-in novels and I do poorly at the trivia compared to a lot of people. But I snuck into the theater when I was 11 years old to watch Luke Skywalker discover The Force. I know great stories and despite the slightly cheesy effects and the ham-handed acting, Star Wars was a great story.

Why am I going on and on about what was? Because Timothy Zahn does Star Wars better than George Lucas does Star Wars. If Lucas had just filmed these three books - Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command - he'd have a masterpiece to crown his early achievements.

In Dark Force Rising, Leia conducts a mission to influence an alien race heretofore loyal to one of the Emperor's warlords, Luke finds himself battling an insane Jedi Master, Joruus C'Baoth, and Han Solo races the forces of the warlord, General Thrawn, to get to a lost fleet of Dreadnaught cruisers. The tension is high throughout this second book in the series and the characters conduct themselves admirably, keeping to the heroic expectations and rebellious attitudes we expect.

Reading this series, and especially this book, will remind you why we loved Star Wars and why we now hate George Lucas.

- CV Rick

The middle of a saga is always the best!.......2006-07-13

Just like Empire Strikes Back, Dark Force Rising is the pinnacle of what the middle portion of a saga is all about. There is tons of action and the book is so well written that you won't want to put it down.
Highly recommend this one and I can't wait to finish the triology with The Last Command.
Zahn is the man!

The Force is with you!.......2006-07-13

"Dark Force Rising" Volume 2 of the Thrawn Trilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn continues his attempt to finish off the struggling New Republic. Talon Karrde, the smuggler who took Jabba's place is slowly being pulled over to the New Republic's side even though his right hand Mara Jade (The Emperors' Hand before he died) wants nothing to do with the new republic and who's only goal has been to kill Luke Skywalker. The two opposing sides race for a lost fleet of about 200 ships. The winner will have the upper hand in the continuing battle. Meanwhile the newly surfaced Jedi master plots to capture Leia, her twins and Luke.

The Good: The whole book (along with the other 2 were all very good). It's good to read the old favorites including Han, Leia, Luke, Chewy and Lando. The plot stays strong throughout and this kept the book enjoyable.

The Bad: Nothing memorable

Overall: The book and series are both very good and I recommend them highly

Average customer rating:

Star Wars Dark Force Rising
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Vol. 3)
Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book Two)
Specter of the Past (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book One)

ASIN: B000GRNX4C

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Dark Force Rising Sourcebook
Bill Slavicsek
Manufacturer: West End Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0874311934

Product Description

A guide to volume 2 of Timothy Zahn's three-book cycle. This book includes complete information and game statistics on all of the characters, aliens, vehicles, Droids, planets, and starships from this gripping adventure.

Average customer rating:

Dark Force Rising (Star Wars RPG)
Bill Slavicsek , and Bill Smith
Manufacturer: West End Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

Truce at Bakura Sourcebook (Star Wars RPG)
Heir to the Empire Sourcebook (Star Wars RPG)
Han Solo and the Corporate Sector (Star Wars RPG)

ASIN: 0874311829

2 litle the phantom menace & dark force rising (star wars, episode 1 & volume 2)

Average customer rating:

2 litle the phantom menace & dark force rising (star wars, episode 1 & volume 2)
timothy zahn , and terry brooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000U31AUQ

Product Description

two books star wars * dark force rising volume 2 a threebook cicle * the phantom menace episode 1

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Dark Force Rising: Star Wars: Volume 2
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NY2IJO

Average customer rating:

Star War Dark Forces Rising
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MVR4ZG

Average customer rating:

Star Wars - Vol. 2 - Dark Force Rising
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Star Wars Dark Force Rising

Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1415540195

Product Description

Based on the bestselling novel by Timothy Zahn. This book collects issues 1-6 of the Dark Horse comic-book series Star Wars: Dark Force Rising.

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STAR WARS DARK FORCE RISING VOLUME 2
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QB02GA

The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasonry, and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus
Average customer rating:

Terrible, on so many levels

A disappointing lack of scholarly rigor and scientific objectivity

Freemasons blush!

eyeopener

Secrets huh?

The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasonry, and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus
Christopher Knight , and Robert Lomas
Manufacturer: Fair Winds Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Australia & Oceania | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Freemasonry | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Second Messiah: Templars, the Turin Shroud and the Great Secret of Freemasonry

Turning the Hiram Key: Rituals of Freemasonry Revealed

The Book of Hiram: Freemasonry, Venus, and the Secret Key to the Life of Jesus

Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry

Uriel's Machine: Uncovering the Secrets of Stonehenge, Noah's Flood and the Dawn of Civilization

ASIN: 1931412758

Book Description

The Hiram Key is a book that will shake the Christian world to its very roots. When Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, both Masons, set out to find the origins of Freemasonry they had no idea that they would find themselves unraveling the true story of Jesus and the original Jerusalem Church. As a radically new picture of Jesus started to emerge, the authors came to the startling conclusion that the key rituals of modern Freemasonry were practiced by the early followers of Jesus as a means of initiation into their community.

Customer Reviews:

Terrible, on so many levels.......2007-08-22

As a Jew, Mason, and former History major, I can say that this book has problems on so many levels that its embarrassing. As countless reviews here have mentioned, the authors tend to jump to ridiculous conclusions. With all due respect to the Brothers who wrote this book, they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to capitalize on the Fraternity. "Mercenary motives" indeed.

A disappointing lack of scholarly rigor and scientific objectivity.......2007-08-20

In this book, the authors attempt (as countless hundreds of other authors have done throughout the years) to explore the historical roots of modern Freemasonry.

The authors raise a lot of interesting questions, and pinpoint some interesting historical parallels. They draw upon a wide range of source material, including, but not limited to:

· Archeological evidence going as far back as Ancient Egypt and Sumeria.
· Ancient religious literature, including the Upanishads, The Book of the Dead, The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Bible (and various accounts excluded from it by the Council of Nicea), etc.
· Medieval history regarding the Templar Knights and the Crusades
· The history and architecture of Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.
· Etc.

I really wanted to like this book, but it fell far short of expectations. My chief complaint concerns the author's irritating tendency to see what they want to see, and to constantly overstate their logic and speculation as if it were inescapable truth, which it most certainly is NOT. What they see as a blow-the-doors-off-the-reader revelation, built on solid evidence, I see as a rather flimsy & drafty shanty shack of interesting, but hardly rigorous, coincidences, independantly recurring motifs, and heavy speculation ... some of it modestly reasonable, but most of it very very thin.

In order to give you an idea of how the authors of this book tend to write, picture yourself writing a speculative thesis, and then afterwards going back for a second pass with a word processor, implementing the following search and replace phrase table:

"speculation" becomes "distinct possibility"
"distinct possibility" becomes "likely possibility"
"likely possibility" becomes "likely probability"
"likely probability" becomes "many agree"
"many agree" becomes "accepted by many"
"accepted by many" becomes "likely conclusion"
"likely conclusion" becomes "widely accepted as fact"
"widely accepted as fact" becomes "uncontestable truth"

Worse still, the authors routinely rely on their own speculations in order to engage in the sin of compound speculation - continually restating their own earlier speculation with ever increasing certainty, until it eventually reaches the state of TRUTH and FACT ... and then using that as a foundation upon which to build still more speculation. I find such flawed logic, and such poor scientific rigor, to be deeply ironic, given the architectural metaphor that freemasonry expresses itself through. An irony apparently lost on the authors.

In any case, while I found some of the material to be very interesting, and while I appreciated the breadth of material the authors attempted to cover in their search, as well as their enthusiasm, their appalling lack of professional rigor & objectivity, lack of depth, and their recurring tendency to heavily overstate conjecture as fact, repeatedly irritated me. Such shortcomings do the subject matter a disservice, in my opinion. The last thing this subject needs is yet another book on par with the likes of "Chariots of the Gods". I'm left to match their speculation with some of my own - perhaps their tendency is partially driven by a need for sensationalism and fiscal self-hype ? One wonders. One of the authors (Knight) is, according to the back cover of the book, the managing director of a marketing and advertising agency. The other author (Lomas) is an Electrical Engineer. Neither author appears to have any obvious professional academic credentials in history, archeology, religion, medieval literature, or the like. Not that those things are unavoidable prerequisites to competence, mind you, but when present, they certainly help instill some confidence in the reader regarding the grasp and professionalism of the authors.

Bottom line: There's some interesting material in here, but there's not enough genuine substance to warrant the cover price, and the terribly annoying lack of scientific rigor and objectivity, and the house-of-cards chain of hypothetical events, seriously undermined my enjoyment of this book. You'll get more bang for your entertainment dollar by reading pseudo-science fluff about the Bermuda Triangle, or Area 51 ... and the degree of scholarly rigor is comparably threadbare.

Not recommended.

Freemasons blush!.......2007-07-19

This book deserves 1 star solely for its use as a vomit inducer. The premises that the book brings regarding the identity of Hiram Abif are loosely based- and at great cost to the authors' credibility.

First of all, the authors take great pains to reduce all Christianity to a big mistake.

Secondly, they practically tear the Jews a new pie-hole and lable them as oppressors of the Egyptians! WOW!

The authors believe that indeed it WAS Jews (in fact Simon and Levi- sons of Jacob) who were the 'Juwes' of Freemasonry. Suspicious to say the least! The authors use Genesis 49:6 as a proof- taking it completely out of context. The authors are too clueless to refer to Genesis 34: 25 to 26. In fact, they DONT read the scripture and only use Peake's commentary on the Bible.It takes a REFERENCE Bible, guys; come on! its not too tough, is it?

This alone should make anyone who cares about decent scholarship to raise an eyebrow.

Yahweh is just a storm god- but Thoth is more credible? The Hebrews practiced silly nature rituals but the resurrection drama of the Pharoah's was more credible? The Torah was really written after the Babylonian exile but Ezekiel is legit? Where's my bucket....!

Freemasons beware. Dont leave the study of your fraternity to 'managing directors' and an 'electrical engineers'- especially ones with apparent axes to grind.

eyeopener.......2007-05-16

This book really smashes a lot of established assumptions that "Organized Religion" puts forth as the "truth".

Secrets huh?.......2007-03-28

I know that with an open mind, this book will change what you thought you knew about religion and the history of the world. It seems as though the authors did follow the links that proved thier theory, there is way too much coincidence for most of this not to be true. We know by other historical findings that the Templars never guarded pilgrams to or from the holy land, and they quickly left Jeruselem after digging around the temple. This book paints a very likely story of the founding of Chirstianity. It is very hard for Christians to read I'm sure...but as my mom always told me, the truth hurts. This book clearly outlines what we historically know today and the symbolisum people wrote with in ancient times. To take most things at face value is rediuculous. At times the authors do seem to make leaps of faith and always do seem to connect thier dots...but if they had not, there would not be a book, nor a movement to excavate roslyn chapel...led by these two authors. This is a must read and a must pass on.

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