Shadow Over Kiriath (Legends of the Guardian-King)

Book Description

Legends of the Guardian King Book 3- Karen Hancock has created a beautiful and powerful fantasy series that continues to win new readers and remind them of who holds their hopes and victories in His hands. In Abramm's world, God is close to his followers, evil takes many forms, and one must believe in the light to see the darkness. While Abramm's coronation is still underway, rival leaders are already plotting their return to power.Worse yet, as the hour approaches for Abramm's marriage to the Chesedhan crown princess-required to seal the desperately needed alliance between their two countries-he finds himself deeply attracted to her younger sister. Will Eidon give Abramm ultimate victory, or will his enemies succeed in destroying him and his beloved realm?

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-05-14

This is one of the books by Karen Hancock in a four part series. I didn't think it could get any better after the other one but I was wrong. I couldn't seem to put this book down.

Shadow over Kiriath.......2007-03-14

This was excellent! LOVED the allegory and have applied insights to my own life (for instance, that Satan will work at discouraging us and destroying us, if we don't focus on the Lord). Wish there were more writers like Karen Hancock. Kathy Tyers is another good author. MORE, MORE PLEASE!

My New Favorite Author.......2007-03-01

Just adding my 5 stars to the average. Enjoyed this series more than Lord of the Rings, and at least as much as Dune and Ender's Game. Karen Hancock is now at the very top of my list.

A wonderful addtion to an amazing series.......2006-12-20

These books keep getting better and better. Both the characters and the plot continue to improve. It is getting a lot harder to put these books down. compared to the others this one is better with a whole lot more romance for the ladies and some great action sequences for us boys. While I usually do not fall for romance, I found myself enjoying some of it just because the way Karen Hancock writes her romance in a way that glorifies god, the type of romance that is hard to find in a world where romance is displayed in such a gross nature. I especially love it when Mrs. Hancock describes how you know when you have found the perfect one when both if put together form a perfect bond creating one being, this is definitely something not displayed in most of American culture. The only problem is I will now have to wait 4 months till the new one. What a hard wait for the ending leaves you wanting more of this fantastic series. Good job Karen Hancock! Keep it up!

Frustration!!.......2006-11-17

This series of books is ranked among the best allegorical fantasy in Christian fiction today. Karen Hancock has employed excellent plot and character development throughout the series.

The only frustration is that I have to wait till April '07 for the next book! Arrgg!! :)

Book Description

Abigail Mercer was breathless with anticipation at being reunited with Spencer Law, whom she met once and later married by proxy. But now the dashing Viscount Ravenswood denies all knowledge of their union! Far too many witnesses have made it impossible for the secretive Spencer to reject his "bride" without causing a scandal. So he has proposed a marriage in-name-only until they can locate his mysteriously absent younger brother—who is responsible for everything!—and untangle this messy affair.

Abigail is incensed, irate . . . and irresistibly attracted to this handsome, infuriating man who hides his smoldering passion behind a proper exterior. So the lady will agree to his terms on one condition: Spencer must seal their bargain with a kiss. But he finds that one deep, lingering, unforgettable kiss isn't nearly enough. And keeping his hands off his pretty wife is going to be much harder than he thought . . .

Customer Reviews:

Lovely and Spicey Romance.......2007-05-11

I am a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries. I absolutely love all of her books. Of course, we all have her favorites too and I do as well. This is certainly near the top of my list of favorites of hers and also in my top 10 list of all time favs. I had put off reading this book because of some of these not-so-glowing reviews. I have learned my lesson because the majority of the time I disagree with those reviews and this is definitely one of them. Let me just say right off...I LOVED THIS BOOK!! In fact out of all of her books she has written so far this is right up there with my top 2 favorites. There is no need to go into the premise and the plot because many others have already and as we all know...you can read! The nice thing to me about this story was it was a real romance with a bit of mystery, a bit of misunderstanding, a bit of the fun, and a bit of spicey stuff... all mixed in together to make one scrumptious story. But none of those things overshadowed the love story. As the story moves along you become more intrigued and more involved with these two wonderful characters. You really want them to work it out. I really appreciated the fact that the hero loved the heroine just the way she was and for who she was not what she thought he wanted her to be. But she didn't know that as her insecurities sometimes got the best of her. It took her changing for the hero to realize how much he loved her and wanted back the person she was before. She was spunky, beautiful, spoke her mind, a bit unconventional, and very playful (in more ways than one), and American...not quite fitting into the British society. I simply loved all the bantering and teasing they did with one another. It made it seem more real to me. It added some light humor to the story and also brought out the personalities of the characters and made it seem like these two belong together and you knew they did even before they knew or would admit. Let me say there are some pretty spicey and original love scenes but they were very tastefully done and happened at the right time in the story and just often enough too. These were also very playful scenes that I very much enjoyed...a lot. If you don't like original but saucy love scenes... don't read it. But they are very tasteful and worked with the storyline nicely. So I am giving this story 5 stars because I loved the book, loved the characters, grinned a lot while reading it, even hugged the book a little when it was over. It had everything I like in a good romance story. When you like a book this much it is hard to understand when someone else doesn't. But for me I loved it and it's on my keep shelf to read again. It's a wonderful story and if you like Sabrina's books then you should like this one.

What a nice story!.......2007-01-04

This was a pretty good book, the reason it has four stars instead of five is that it took me awhile to get into it, so for me, that does not rate five stars. All in all, it was a pretty good story, just a bit slow at the beginning. I loved how Spencer changed through the story, and how the author showed him falling in love with Abigail. It was worth the time!

A Good Story Just Not Original...3 1/2 stars Possible.........2006-01-15

I found Sabrina Jefferies last year as a new author for me to read. I also picked up and read her books "Pirate Lord (very good), "One Night With A Prince" (very good), "A Dangerous Love" (not bad) and "After The Abduction" (so-so). I have found her novels to be either hit or miss - not in between (although none have ever been bad - some just better than others) . I enjoyed this novel "Married To The Viscount". It wasn't as good as the first two I mentioned but, not bad.

In this story, I liked that our heroine - Abby - was from the colonies in America. She was spunky, intelligent and warm. She wasn't intimidated by the royal or ranking system in England and was simply a hearty American lass. I liked that our hero - Spencer - was a Viscount in England. He was serious, intense and very worldly and very focused on running his estate, family and business relationships with a stern hand. He had a good sense of humor and heart - they were just buried beneath years of seriousness.

They meet up in America when Spencer and his brother Nat are traveling to the US for business. They discuss business with Abby's father and during their short stay - Spencer and Abby sense an attraction for one another but, never act on anything. Spencer returns to England to continue life as usual even though he has not forgotten her memory or impact. Nat, much more light hearted and positive than Spencer takes things into his own hands. He finds a way to talk Abby into marrying Spencer by proxy with Nat as a stand in and witness, gets his hands on her dowry money for use in a business scheme her father had started earlier and she agrees to be sent to England to begin a life with Spencer. Nat had her believing that Spencer was very fond of her as she was of him and they could have a life together in England after Abby's father passed away.

Of course, once Abby gets to England, nothing Nat has put in motion is right. Spencer did not want a wife, did not want to be married, although he had feelings for Abby he did not plan on acting on them and Abby's dowry comes up missing along with Nat!

From there...the story takes lots of twists and turns with the relationship between Spencer and Abby progressing whether they want it to or not, they keep up appears in public so, gossip won't ruin anyone's family, Abby's father's medicinal business takes off in England as perfume instead and everyone is trying to track Nat down to end the mystery of why he sent Abby to England, where her dowry went and what he has been up to while missing.

I liked that Abby was always honest, caring and upfront with everyone. She was herself through most of the book and that warmed everyone to liking her - such as Spencer's closet friends, the town busybody and even the king himself! It was only when she tried to be a straight laced, proper English Viscountess that she got boring. I liked that through her open ways she got Spencer to not be so serious, lighten up and enjoy life more. It took awhile for Spencer to completely open up, be honest and declare himself to Abby but, the author gave a lot of historical background to his growing up that explained why he had the reservations that he did. Plus...the reality in relationships is that some progress can be made, as well as some stepping back. It's a little forward, a little backward, and so on until things come together in full. So, some of their wavering was understanding.

I agree with some reviewers that Abby was a smart girl and quite independent so, it was a stretch to get us to buy that she would marry Spencer without a relationship being between them. Plus..she gave away all her money to Nat and agreed to give 1/2 her fathers business to her husband - a man she barely knew. These parts were stretches to believe but...necessary to make the story work. So...roll your eyes and buy into the author's ideas for now.

There were times I wished Abby would have left England, went back to America and showed Spencer a thing or two. She certainly threatened him often enough when he got ornery and acted out but, no...she stuck it out and worked through it. I think had she called his bluff after the third or fourth time he got out of line...he might have gotten a reality check earlier and not dragged things out at the end. I'm sure sometimes readers got tired of Spencer giving, then taking back, giving, then taking back and so on. Same when Abby was smart and determined in some passages then others she pulled back. It did get a little tiring now and then but, not enough to not like the book or story.

The side characters of Abby's lady in waiting, Spencer's butler and brother, family, friends and some of the charity children were appealing seconds in the book. They added to the over-all story line so, it was multi-dimensional.

The love scenes were tasteful. I thought their intimacy happened about the right time in the story. Spencer seemed to often get intimate only when temptation got the best of him and he just couldn't stay strong any longer or...if he was showing Abby a lesson or two. The two of them peeking into Spencer's peek-a-boo boxes was charming parts to some of the love scenes. I guess that was naughty for the times. Fortunately, Abby was not some simpering miss and met Spencer challenge for challenge. I liked that she never had regrets after intimacy as so many women do after the fact. Instead, it was Spencer that had reservations sometimes but, he got over it. Although none of the scenes got hot and steamy, they were fine.

I'm not sure why they picked the cover they did for this story. I don't recall Spencer washing Abby in a tub or even being in a bathroom scene with him. A more appealing picture would probably drawn in more readers. The title worked fine. Some reviewers were a bit hard on this author and story because it was not fully originally and scintillating. I would say that's too harsh a review. It was still fairly well done just not fascinating and exciting. If you haven't chosen this author yet...the first two books I mentioned earlier would be good starting points. I have bought some other books by her and look forward to further reading. Enjoy!

not the normal romance.......2006-01-01

I actually liked this book quite a bit. It does not adhere to the standard romance recipe of a heroine in peril rescued by our hero. The premise is that a 'physically damaged' viscount is compelled by honor to marry an American whom he believes his brother has cheated and lied to. The lady, Abigail, is completely lost in aristocratic society, but is willing to learn to please the man she actually loves. Her husband, is deeply attracted to her, but is so bitter over his injury and so determined to maintain complete control that he will not allow himself to acknowledge his feelings. He is sometimes cruel in his defense of his barriers, but ultimately she breaks through by choosing to leave him rather than be emotionally tortured for the rest of her life. I like the roughness of both the characters. They are far from perfect and the author is willing to let us see that.

Mediocre writing, bad premise.......2005-05-09

I felt entirely generous giving this book two stars.

MARRIED TO THE VISCOUNT was an impulse buy; I wanted to branch out and start reading new authors, and historical fiction is my weakness. The title told me it was a historical romance, so I purchased it.

I have made many such purchases, been splendidly happy with them, and found new favorite authors in the process. Sabrina Jeffries was not one of these authors.

From the first page I thought it was ridiculous that Abigail bought into the whole marriage-by-proxy thing. She seemed far too naive for me, and the premise was absurd. Perhaps this was a "done thing" in the time period, but it seemed absolutely silly to me.

Spencer was a dashing hero, and I loved him, but my dislike for the heroine and my skepticism about the plot made the book overall very unenjoyable. I'm looking to sell it used as quickly as possible.

In other words, this is not a book that I want to take up space where a Christina Dodd, Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, or Glynnis Campbell can take its place on my bookshelf.

Average customer rating:

Married to the Viscount
Sabrina Jeffries
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0739440152

Product Description

new Avon Romantics Tra=easures, by the auhor of "Dance of Seduction" "The Dangerous Lord"

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Married to the Viscount
Sabrina Jeffries
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VXO1UG

Amazon.com

In Parable of the Talents, the seeds of change that Lauren planted begin to bear fruit, but in unpredictable and brutal ways. Her small community is destroyed, her child is kidnapped, and she is imprisoned by sadistic zealots. She must find a way to escape and begin again, without family or friends. Her single-mindedness in teaching Earthseed may be her only chance to survive, but paradoxically, may cause the ultimate estrangement of her beloved daughter. Parable of the Talents is told from both mother's and daughter's perspectives, but it is the narrative of Lauren's grown daughter, who has seen her mother made into a deity of sorts, that is the most compelling. Butler's writing is simple and elegant, and her storytelling skills are superb, as usual. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in what promises to be a moving and adventurous saga. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Octavia Butler tackles the creation of a new religion, the making of agod, and the ultimate fate of humanity in her Earthseed series, which began with Parable of the Sower, and now continues with Parable of the Talents. The saga began with the near-future dystopian tale of Sower, in which young Lauren Olamina began to realize her destiny as a leader of people dispossessed and destroyed by the crumbling of society. The basic principles of Lauren's faith, Earthseed, were contained in a collection of deceptively simple proverbs that Lauren used to recruit followers. She teaches that "God is change" and that humanity's ultimate destiny is among the stars.In Parable of the Talents, the seeds of change that Lauren planted beginto bear fruit, but in unpredictable and brutal ways. Her small community is destroyed, her child is kidnapped, and she is imprisoned by sadistic zealots. She must find a way to escape and begin again, without family or friends. Her single-mindedness in teaching Earthseed may be her only chance to survive, but paradoxically, may cause the ultimate estrangement of her beloved daughter. Parable of the Talents is told from both mother's and daughter's perspectives, but it is the narrative of Lauren's grown daughter, who has seen her mother made into a deity of sorts, that is the most compelling. Butler's writing is simple and elegant, and her storytelling skills are superb, as usual. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in what promises to be a moving and adventurous saga. --Therese Littleton

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Parable of the Talents
Octavia E Butler
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788749900

Product Description

Amazon.com Octavia Butler tackles the creation of a new religion, the making of a god, and the ultimate fate of humanity in her Earthseed series, which began with Parable of the Sower, and now continues with Parable of the Talents. The saga began with the near-future dystopian tale of Sower, in which young Lauren Olamina began to realize her destiny as a leader of people dispossessed and destroyed by the crumbling of society. The basic principles of Lauren's faith, Earthseed, were contained in a collection of deceptively simple proverbs that Lauren used to recruit followers. She teaches that "God is change" and that humanity's ultimate destiny is among the stars. In Parable of the Talents, the seeds of change that Lauren planted begin to bear fruit, but in unpredictable and brutal ways. Her small community is destroyed, her child is kidnapped, and she is imprisoned by sadistic zealots. She must find a way to escape and begin again, without family or friends. Her single-mindedness in teaching Earthseed may be her only chance to survive, but paradoxically, may cause the ultimate estrangement of her beloved daughter. Parable of the Talents is told from both mother's and daughter's perspectives, but it is the narrative of Lauren's grown daughter, who has seen her mother made into a deity of sorts, that is the most compelling. Butler's writing is simple and elegant, and her storytelling skills are superb, as usual. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in what promises to be a moving and adventurous saga. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Eight Bags of Gold Parable of the Talents (Arch Books, Matthew 25:14-30 For Children)

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Eight Bags of Gold Parable of the Talents (Arch Books, Matthew 25:14-30 For Children)
Janice Kramer
Manufacturer: Concordia Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GKTFF0

Product Description

based on Matthew 25:14-30

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Did Jesus Teach Capitalism?
Spiros Zodhiates
Manufacturer: Amg Pubs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Living the Parable of the Talents: Challenging and revitalizing a congregation using their God-given talents.

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Living the Parable of the Talents: Challenging and revitalizing a congregation using their God-given talents.
Gaither E. Bailey
Manufacturer: Outskirts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1598003062

Book Description

Hope For The "Talent-Challenged" Not just another "how-to" book, Living the Parable of the Talents, is a story of discovery and challenge. Tucked into the pages of this book are stories of individuals who, challenged to assist their church, discovered they were indeed "talented" people. Woven throughout the fabric of the book are scripture lessons used to guide a group of people from doubt to faith, from despondency to hope, from isolation to fellowship and from financial uncertainty to financial stability. People are never too old to find their talent and let God use it. Raising nearly a hundred-thousand dollars seemed insignificant when compared to more valuable lessons in "talent-discovery" and "talent-utilization." You might find yourself being challenged to seek your hidden talent and use it to the glory of God.

Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, Kindred

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Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, Kindred
Octavia E. Butler
Manufacturer: Griot Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QV4XOC

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Parable of the sower: Parable of the talents ; Kindred
Octavia E Butler
Manufacturer: Quality Paperback Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Parable of the Talents (Arch Books)
Nicole E. Dreyer
Manufacturer: Concordia Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0758612826

The Talents: An Unauthorized Biography of the Famous Parable

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The Talents: An Unauthorized Biography of the Famous Parable
Doris E. Miller
Manufacturer: Wipf & Stock Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Marion's day-dreams, or, Their aim in life

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Marion's day-dreams, or, Their aim in life
Clara A Lynn
Manufacturer: Lee and Shepard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008AOZ6W

Book Description

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening is a complete guidebook for all who wish to know the practice of Centering Prayer.

Customer Reviews:

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening.......2007-07-09

This book has opened a whole new chapter in my prayer practice. For anyone who wishes to get out of the false self circuit, here is hope.

Cynthia Bourgeault is a writer with a beautiful soul.......2007-04-11

For those on a spiritual path,Cynthia Bourgeault has given us a book with not only an excellent background in the nature of Centering Prayer, but a book which will inspire us to seek a deepening of our own journey with God. Centering Prayer has been part of a new spiritual searching in the world, and this book will be an important aid to those who want to know how it can help in their own search for deeper life in God's presence.

A Comprehensive Examination of Centering Prayer and Contemp;lation.......2006-11-02

Bourgeault does a very good job of introducing the practice of Centering Prayer and placing it within the framework of contemplation. She links experience to insight which reveals the tremendous power of this simple yet profound practice.
Bourgeault expands this practice with additional chapters on the practice of the Welcoming Prayer - a means of extending the practice of Centering Prayer to the rest of the day.
Bourgeault begins at the most basic level of explaining the practice of Centering Prayer and then builds upon the profound insight which this practice offers to the world in the 21st century.
Very interesting and accessible!

Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening.......2006-04-20

This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to go within his or herself and become acquainted with their pure being. It is a "wake up" book and one that would be good for everyone in this universe to read.

An outstanding overview of centering prayer.......2005-10-30

Cynthia Bourgeault is an excellent writer and elucidates difficult concepts with consummate skill. There is much food for thought in her book, "Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening." This book is one of the very best I have read on centering prayer, and for those who have already read one or two books on the subject but have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one, I highly recommend it. She frequently adds to many of the insights offered by Father Keating in his books. She is not at all adversed to pointing out some of the potential pitfalls and snares involved in the practice of this type of prayer. One often gets a sense of whether a writer is speaking from the top of his or her head or is actually coming from a place of deep experience. Cynthia Bourgeault fits the latter category. Her explanations of the "inner witness" and unconscious programming seem right on target and add much to the continuing discussion of centering prayer in particular and the comtemplative life in general. Her chapter on Welcoming Prayer, I believe, is alone worth the price of the book. In it is a technique designed to disrupt our continued unconscious programming loop that I have found works very well. Although this book might not exactly qualify as an introduction to centering prayer, it nonetheless adds considerably to the growing number of books on this subject. It is not just another book about centering prayer.

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