Sea of Silver Light (Otherland, Volume 4)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not Free SF Reader
  • Received in Great Condition
  • Engrossing
  • HUUUGE Ideas, LOONG Books, tiny ending
  • A magnificient ending, seen!
Sea of Silver Light (Otherland, Volume 4)
Tad Williams
Manufacturer: DAW Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:
  1. Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland, Volume 3) Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland, Volume 3)
  2. River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2) River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2)
  3. City of Golden Shadow (Otherland, Volume 1) City of Golden Shadow (Otherland, Volume 1)
  4. To Green Angel Tower, Part 2 (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 3) To Green Angel Tower, Part 2 (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 3)
  5. The Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn) The Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn)

ASIN: 0886779774
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

With Sea of Silver Light, Tad Williams completes his massive Otherland quartet, one of SF's more intriguing explorations of the eroding boundaries of the human and the nonhuman, the living and the dead. Otherland is a sequence that contains many secrets, and Williams plays fair by unpacking all of them in the final book. A group of adventurers searching for a cure for comatose children find themselves trapped in a sequence of virtual worlds, the only opponents of a conspiracy of the rich to live forever in a dream. Now, they are forced to make an uneasy alliance with their only surviving former enemy against his treacherous sidekick Johnny Wulgaru, a serial killer with a chance to play God forever.

Williams manages a vast cast of emotionally involving characters with considerable panache, but the real strength of the book is its endlessly questing intelligence; it is, among other things, an enquiry into the nature of storytelling as a way for human beings to give structure to their perceptions of the universe around them. It is as story that Sea of Silver Light ultimately works so well--involving us in the grueling descent of a vast mountain, the siege of an underground fortress, gun battles in a nightmare Wild West. Williams never neglects to tell us how things feel. He efficiently ties up every plot strand and convincingly reveals every secret in this large, complex plot. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Here, at last, is Book IV in Tad Williams' acclaimed Otherland series-the book his fans have been eagerly awaiting. A brilliant blend of science fiction, fantasy, and technothriller, it is a rich, multilayered epic of future possibilities-in which virtual realities offer new pathways to immortality...for a dangerous price.

• The eagerly-awaited fourth and final volume in the best-selling Otherland series

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The conclusion of this epic. In the real world, the intrepid police
close in on the aboriginal assassin, as the quest in the virtual world
comes to a final confrontation. The conclusion is what you might call
bittersweet, but upbeat, as the relationship between the two young
gameplayers has developed over the events of the story.


5 out of 5 stars Received in Great Condition.......2007-07-24

Delivery was fast and even though I purchased a like new book, it was in perfect condition

5 out of 5 stars Engrossing.......2007-04-29

The hardest part of commenting on this series was figuring out which book to put my comments under. Mr. Williams is one of those writers, like Neal Stephenson, who expresses himself best at great length. Considering each book by itself strikes me as akin to trying to review a novel chapter by chapter, saying "This chapter was powerful," or "This chapter was weak." The division into separate books is a publishing decision, since 3500-plus-page works of popular fiction books are not practical to bind or sell profitably. I've read the series four or five times now, and I love getting lost in it. I find the range of subjects that Mr. Williams is audacious enough to cover in a single story astonishing. Is it perfect? Probably not, but I don't read it in order to visit literary criticism on it. It's thoughtful and engrossing.

3 out of 5 stars HUUUGE Ideas, LOONG Books, tiny ending.......2007-03-10

Well, darn. Like Peggy Lee, I just can't help asking, "Is that all there is?"

Many other reviewers have noted the inventiveness and complexity of the ideas (particularly in the first book) and the mega-multiple plot lines. All of that creativity makes for a narrative vortex that pulls the reader along for about a foot-high pile of pages. (I wonder if anyone ever thought of selling these books by the inch--or the pound?). I cheered every new environment and exploration of old tales told anew, and the sheer scope made it easy to forgive some repetition and annoying character traits. In fact, I would give the first three books 4 1/2 stars and highly recommend them to anyone who likes big, complex, doorstop-weight SF or fantasy novels.

And then there's this one. I must agree with every reader who felt that the ending came out of nowhere and had very little to do with, add to or say about the preceding 1,000+ pages. This was like going to New Year's Eve in Times Square and having all the lights go out at midnight. After all this buildup, all these travails, all the danger and loss, all the weirdness and funhouse mindbending---pfffft! A squib. A WET squib at that. I still can't figure out how Williams could have ended such a prodigious effort with this and-then-she-woke-up wet noodle of a resolution.

It's hard to criticize such a heroic effort, especially when so much of it is so terrific, but new readers should be warned. Read the other books for pure enjoyment of the story, but only go here if you need to know what the author thinks happened to all these characters.

5 out of 5 stars A magnificient ending, seen!.......2005-10-22

This whole series was brilliant as far as I'm concerned. Just to imagine the possiblities of the future of virtual reality gets any computer game nut like me wanting to cyrogenically freeze myself for the next 50 years or so in order to experience it. Williams' vision is immense and the picture he paints of the future is both exciting and frightening. While some people complain about the length of this series and claim that there is too much "filler", I have to strongly disagree. The amount of character development (and I liked Renie personally, unlike some of the neg reviewers) and world building needed for a story of this magnitude calls for some pretty meaty books. By the time you finish this series you'll feel like you've actually accomplished something and it makes the ending all that much more enjoyable.

This last book of the series is my favorite. Some of the most dramatic scenes of the whole series are in this one and secrets are revealed throughout. As you'd expect from Williams, the climax in this one is intense and fulfilling, tying off loose ends to the reader's satisfaction. All is revealed and all is not as you thought it would be. I don't want to spoil the fun for those of you who havn't read this last book yet, but I do have to say, You gotta love a happy ending. "/
Otherland: Sea of Silver Light
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Otherland: Sea of Silver Light

    Manufacturer: DAW Hardcover
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover
    Similar Items:
    1. Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland, Volume 3) Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland, Volume 3)
    2. River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2) River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2)

    ASIN: 0641645473

    Product Description

    This stunning finale to the gigantic Otherland tetralogy (City of Golden Shadow, etc.), a brilliant fusion of quest fantasy and technological SF, is sure to please Williams's many fans. Otherland, a complete universe co-existent with the real world, incorporates elements of the Arabian Nights, the Alice and Oz books, the Neanderthal Age, the Trojan War, rewritten Roman history (Hannibal returns three centuries after his death to crush Rome, without elephants), as well as numerous nursery rhymes and fables. An enormous cast of courageous humans confronts monstrous insects, unimaginable dangers and all the appurtenances of fantastic adventure. At nearly 700 pages this is a mighty mouthful to swallow, but a well-crafted if convoluted plot sustains interest through the lengthy climax, which explains the inexplicable.
    Otherland : Sea of Silver Light
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Otherland : Sea of Silver Light
      Tad Williams
      Manufacturer: Book Club
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover
      ASIN: B000UR9IRE
      Otherland: Sea of Silver Light Bk. 4
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Otherland: Sea of Silver Light Bk. 4
        Tad Williams
        Manufacturer: Orbit
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        Science FictionScience Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Adventure | Alternate History | Anthologies | General | Graphic Novels | High Tech | History & Criticism | Series | Short Stories | Space Opera
        ASIN: 1857239911
        Tad Williams Otherland Series Books 1-4 (Otherland Series; City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Fire, Mountain of Black Glass, Sea of Silver Light, Volume 1,2,3,4)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Tad Williams Otherland Series Books 1-4 (Otherland Series; City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Fire, Mountain of Black Glass, Sea of Silver Light, Volume 1,2,3,4)
          Tad Williams
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Mass Market Paperback
          ASIN: B000TWTENI

          Product Description

          4 Book set
          Otherland, 4 volume set: City of Golden Shadow + River of Blue Fire + Mountain of Black Glass + Sea of Silver Light
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Otherland, 4 volume set: City of Golden Shadow + River of Blue Fire + Mountain of Black Glass + Sea of Silver Light
            Tad Williams
            Manufacturer: Daw
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Williams, Tad | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
            PaperbackPaperback | Williams, Tad | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
            ASIN: B000NL0ORU

            Product Description

            Volumes 1 thru 4 in Tad William's Otherland series. City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Fire, Mountain of Black Glass, & Sea of Silver Light.

            Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
              Maraike Buckling , Renate Fanta , Magda Keleti , Almut Krapf-Weiler , and Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
              Manufacturer: Hatje Cantz Publishers
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              GeneralGeneral | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
              AustriaAustria | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: 3775712461
              Release Date: 2003-05-02

              Book Description

              Smirking, dim-witted, grimacing, or disgusted--that is how the character studies that Franz Xaver Messerschmidt cast in lead or cut into alabaster appear to viewers. They are sculptures that do not adhere to any classical ideal of beauty, instead confronting the viewer with a typology of the ugly. The fascinating character busts by the baroque sculptor Messerschmidt may be indebted to his contemporary Johann Kaspar Lavater, yet they never cease to amaze with their untimely artistic aggressiveness--their modernism even--exposing the flip sides of human expression. Messerschmidt, who created conventional portraits of dignitaries such as Empress Maria Theresia and Joseph II while working at the Imperial Academy in Vienna, began his turn toward an exclusive production of character busts around 1770, a predilection that quickly gained him the reputation of a maverick. Having taken early retirement due to a psychological disorder that was never clearly defined, he spent the rest of his life as a recluse living in Pressburg. This extensive monograph about an exceptional artist attempts an interpretation of the deeper meaning in an oeuvre that is as unusual as it is uncompromising.
              Fanta C
              Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
              • A fast, easy and satisfying read
              • Quick read that is great
              • Simple yet Satisfying
              • I've read this one in only one day!
              • Fast, funny, and cute with some sensual moments.
              Fanta C
              Sandra Brown
              Manufacturer: Fanfare
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Mass Market Paperback

              GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
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              GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
              PaperbackPaperback | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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              1. Adam's Fall Adam's Fall
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              5. Send No Flowers Send No Flowers

              ASIN: 0553562746
              Release Date: 1997-01-21

              Customer Reviews:

              4 out of 5 stars A fast, easy and satisfying read.......2006-03-08

              Two years after being widowed, Elizabeth Burke has managed to pick up her life with the help of her sister and two beloved children. Along with caring for her two exuberant angels, she also manages her small, but successful boutique. But there are times when she finds herself dreaming of the love that she once had with her late husband, and fantasizing about once again having the kind of romance that made her knees weak. Enter her dashing neighbor, Thad Randolph.

              A real gentleman who makes her laugh, Elizabeth can't help but fall for Thad's charms. But is she ready to take a chance at love again, or will she hold back and content herself in her fantasy world?

              If you're after a short but satisfying romantic read, FANTA C is a book to spend a lazy afternoon with. I liked the interaction between Thad and Elizabeth. The tenderness between them and the way Thad has brought joy to Elizabeth's life and her kids was quite delightful. And for such a short story, this book is brimming over with sensuality. Elizabeth's fantasies are surely hot and Thad is just the man to fulfil her wicked dreams.

              FANTA C is a fun and entertaining read. It is witty and enjoyable, and I liked Elizabeth's children and sister, Lilah, who has her own story, ADAM'S FALL. I just loved the way her children inadvertently embarrass Elizabeth with the typical childhood candor and enthusiasm. They'll surely make you laugh.

              4 out of 5 stars Quick read that is great.......2005-09-30

              In the past three years since I discovered Sandra Brown's books I have greatly enjoyed them. This book and Adam's Fall which are a series are a great weekend read.

              3 out of 5 stars Simple yet Satisfying.......2005-05-28

              This was the third book I read of Mrs. Brown. I wasn't blown over, wasn't wowed or anything, but I wasn't disappointed either. It was simple, yet endearing. I too am a single mother of two lovely children, and have been accused of being too reserved and uptight, so could relate to Elizabeth's character. (I can also enjoy a good daydream now and then) It's a good read, not her best, but good just the same. If nothing else, you have to read it just so you know how it all began when you read `Adam's Fall', which IS one of her BEST! ...2.5 Stars

              5 out of 5 stars I've read this one in only one day!.......2002-07-26

              Wow, what can I say more. The characters, the story, the book is just great. I've read this book only two days ago and I can still remember everthing I've read. I couldn't eat or do something else. I just read the book. I couldn't put it down. The relation between Thad and Elisabeth with the kids surrounding them is just great. You must read this one surely.

              5 out of 5 stars Fast, funny, and cute with some sensual moments........2002-01-21

              I first read this book when it was published as a Loveswept title in the late 80's. The story has stayed with me and I usually read it during flights or long appointment stays, etc. I can no longer find my original copy. Elizabeth owns a wonderful shop called Fantasy. Her sister (whose story follows in "Adam's Fall) always tries to get her to lighten up - even getting her a vanity license plate. I really do not want to give too much of the plot away, but it is a fast and fun read. Ms Brown has come a long way from her formula days, but for a good short story, this one is great.
              FANTA C
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                FANTA C
                BROWN & MORGAN
                Manufacturer: Bantam
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover
                ASIN: B000KD088G
                Fanta C
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Fanta C
                  Sandra Brown
                  Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000K1RNWM
                  Fanta C
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Fanta C
                    Sandra BROWN
                    Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                    ASIN: B000GZCEEO
                    FANTA C # 217 (Fanta C)
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      FANTA C # 217 (Fanta C)
                      Sandra Brown
                      Manufacturer: Loveswept
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                      GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
                      GeneralGeneral | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
                      PaperbackPaperback | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: 0553218360
                      Release Date: 1987-10-01
                      Fanta C (Book Club Edition)
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Fanta C (Book Club Edition)
                        Sandra Brown
                        Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
                        GeneralGeneral | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
                        HardcoverHardcover | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: B000SWTM1S

                        Product Description

                        Elizabeth Burke's days are filled with the business of running an elegant boutique and caring for her two small children. But her nights are long and empty since the death of her husband two years before, and she spends them dreaming of the love and romance that might have been. Then Thad Randolph steps into her life...a man right out of her most intimate fantasies. Tender, funny and deeply sensual, Fanta C is Sandra Brown at her best.
                        Fanta C Series - 2 Titles - Fanta C - Adam's Fall
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Fanta C Series - 2 Titles - Fanta C - Adam's Fall
                          Sandra Brown
                          Manufacturer: various
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                          ASIN: B000M12WRQ
                          Set of 10 Romance Titles By Sandra Brown: (1) Above and Beyond; (2) Adam's Fall; (3) Fanta C; (4) Fat Tuesday; (5) Send No Flowers; (6) Silken Web; (7) Sweet Anger; (8) Tidings of Great Joy; (9) Tomorrow's Promise; (10) Two Alone
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Set of 10 Romance Titles By Sandra Brown: (1) Above and Beyond; (2) Adam's Fall; (3) Fanta C; (4) Fat Tuesday; (5) Send No Flowers; (6) Silken Web; (7) Sweet Anger; (8) Tidings of Great Joy; (9) Tomorrow's Promise; (10) Two Alone
                            Sandra Brown
                            Manufacturer: Various
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback
                            ASIN: B000VHU07A
                            5000 B.C. AND OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL FANTAS
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              5000 B.C. AND OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL FANTAS
                              RAYMOND SMULLYAN
                              Manufacturer: ST. MARTINS PRESS/TOR BOOKS
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback
                              ASIN: B000KUQ8OW

                              Sliding Scales (A Pip & Flinx Adventure)
                              Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
                              • a bit tepid
                              • Sliding Scales (A Pip & Flinx Adventure)
                              • good, but not great
                              • leaves you wanting a LOT more
                              • Worth the read
                              Sliding Scales (A Pip & Flinx Adventure)
                              Alan Dean Foster
                              Manufacturer: Del Rey
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                              Foster, Alan DeanFoster, Alan Dean | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                              AdventureAdventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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                              ASIN: 0345461584
                              Release Date: 2005-09-27

                              Book Description

                              From New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster comes a fantastic new Pip and Flinx adventure starring a certain twenty-four-year-old redhead with emerald eyes and uncanny abilities and his devoted mini-dragon protector. Time and again, the daring pair have braved countless dangers to emerge victorious. But now Flinx attempts something that may be impossible for the heretofore undefeated hero. His mission: to take a vacation.

                              Never have the cares of the universe lain so heavily on Flinx’s shoulders, nor the forces arrayed against him seemed so invincible. Pursued by a newly revealed sect of doomsday fanatics, hunted by factions inside and outside the Commonwealth for transgressions real and imagined, expected to single-handedly avert a looming galactic crisis (or bear responsibility for the consequences), Flinx can be forgiven for feeling a slight touch of melancholy.

                              There’s only one solution for what ails Flinx, according to his ship’s AI. But taking time off is tricky business. With an increasing number of enemies chasing him with ever-greater enthusiasm, Flinx must find a getaway shrouded in obscurity. Jast, a planet smack in the middle of nowhere, is the perfect locale.

                              Yet even in a place where hardly anyone’s ever seen a human, Flinx and trouble can’t stay separated for long. Unfortunately, Flinx hasn’t a clue that his vacation paradise is in reality a danger zone of the highest magnitude. And by the time he learns the truth, it may be too late.


                              From the Hardcover edition.

                              Download Description

                              From New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster comes a fantastic new Pip and Flinx adventure starring a certain twenty–four–year–old redhead with emerald eyes and uncanny abilities and his devoted mini–dragon protector. Time and again, the daring pair have braved countless dangers to emerge victorious. But now Flinx attempts something that may be impossible for the heretofore undefeated hero. His mission: to take a vacation.

                              Never have the cares of the universe lain so heavily on Flinx’s shoulders, nor the forces arrayed against him seemed so invincible. Pursued by a newly revealed sect of doomsday fanatics, hunted by factions inside and outside the Commonwealth for transgressions real and imagined, expected to single–handedly avert a looming galactic crisis (or bear responsibility for the consequences), Flinx can be forgiven for feeling a slight touch of melancholy.

                              There’s only one solution for what ails Flinx, according to his ship’s AI. But taking time off is tricky business. With an increasing number of enemies chasing him with ever–greater enthusiasm, Flinx must find a getaway shrouded in obscurity. Jast, a planet smack in the middle of nowhere, is the perfect locale.

                              Yet even in a place where hardly anyone’s ever seen a human, Flinx and trouble can’t stay separated for long. Unfortunately, Flinx hasn’t a clue that his vacation paradise is in reality a danger zone of the highest magnitude. And by the time he learns the truth, it may be too late.

                              Customer Reviews:

                              3 out of 5 stars a bit tepid.......2007-01-26

                              if you like finx and pip, this will be ok. seems written almost to a teenage level. if you want to start the series i recommend going to the beginning of the series.

                              4 out of 5 stars Sliding Scales (A Pip & Flinx Adventure).......2007-01-19

                              Entertaining, though the series does remind you of E C Tubb's character or a "Soap Opera," still it does keep you in anticipation of the next episode. Foster is a very accomplished writer.

                              3 out of 5 stars good, but not great.......2006-01-17

                              I liked the story. The poetic justice and lashes of irony that are doled out at key points were very skillfully done.

                              Most of the Flinx stories I recall had a constant tension of mortal danger to Flinx. In this book, there is a threat but the hazard lacks immediacy. Hmmm... maybe that is not accidental.

                              In the middle half of the book, there is an interesting terrorism motif. That is sort of the mill around the grist of the hero and the protagonist are ground. Though it is not the terrorists' doing, at least directly. Maybe it is an allegory to something. I cannot say for sure.

                              The ending, I must admit, is very good.

                              Flinx seems more adrift in this book than the other ones in the Flinx series. There are no love interests, very little mortal combat, very little heavy duty use of his psychic/empath powers. Those things exist in the story line but they are parts of previous and the next books, it appears.

                              I think the book is slightly better than average, as far as scifi books go. It deserves higher than a 3 but I am not quite willing to give it a 4 on its own merit. It is not as good as other books in the Flinx series, which I would unhesitatingly give a 5 in most cases, or at least a 4.

                              From reading the excerpt from the next book that is stuck in at the end of this one, it sounds like that one will have more action.

                              This book seems like it is just a diversion from the man saga of Flinx and his minidrag Pip. I suspect you could read that one and not miss having skipped this one. This story is pretty self contained and Flinx does not leave this world much intrinsically changed from how he arrived.

                              There is something new that happens in his relationship to the Aan but that is it as far as what he gains as a person or in status from this story.

                              I am still a big fan of the series and I avidly await reading what transpires in the next book.

                              3 out of 5 stars leaves you wanting a LOT more.......2006-01-01

                              This book seems to be a chapter rather than a book. I grew up with Pip and Flinx. Maybe I just expect a better, deeper book. However, this is just not some Star Wars scholck, this is a Pip and Flinx book. I expect better and deeper ! I still look forward to the next "chapter" of which there is a preview in the book. Hopefully "Running from the Diety" will be much deeper and better.

                              4 out of 5 stars Worth the read.......2005-12-26

                              Flinx, the mysterious (even to himself) young hero of Alan Dean Foster's first novel, has done a lot of maturing by the time this ninth installment in the series begins. He's acquired his own spaceship, operating by an AI (artifical intelligence unit) with which he trades verbal barbs. He's still accompanied by Pip, the Alaspinian mini-drag (miniature dragon, or - if you prefer - flying snake) who's been his companion since childhood. His empathic psychic abilities are still growing, and he still doesn't understand them. He's in a foul mood at present, because his most recent adventure has ended with the love of his life severely injured. Flinx blames himself, and having to leave Clarity behind - without even stopping to be sure she'll survive - galls him. Yet it's the only hope he has of keeping her safe. So his AI tells Flinx that he needs a vacation. Some time to spend deliberately doing nothing, in a place where he can't possibly be recognized. The AI picks out a remote planet called Jast.

                              Jast is home to a sentient species with a highly developed civilization. It's also a target for the Commonwealth's arch-nemesis, the AAnn Empire. When one of the reptilian aliens is assigned as Flinx's "guide" (or minder, actually), the young human doesn't object because he's met the AAnn before. He understands and speaks their language, and thinks he understands their culture quite well, too. But on that point he's mistaken, as he discovers when his "guide" nearly kills him and actually does leave him for dead in a rugged, isolated part of the Jastian landscape. Or he would discover that - if he could only remember how he got there.

                              Initially I groaned a bit when I read the chapter that introduced Flinx's amnesia. "What a tired old plot device!" I thought. But I kept reading, and before too many more pages were turned I'd decided that the tired old plot device was working just fine.

                              There's not much movement in this book toward resolution of the mysteries central to Flinx's on-going story. It's basically a standalone "planet of the week" adventure, with character development (for Flinx, and for the AAnn as a species) its only real contribution to the saga as a whole. But, with that understood and accepted, I found it an enjoyable tale. Not the best in the series (I've read them all), but definitely worth the read.
                              Sliding Scales: A Pip & Flinx Adventure
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Sliding Scales: A Pip & Flinx Adventure
                                Alan Dean Foster
                                Manufacturer: Del Rey
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback
                                ASIN: B000OVPQEK

                                When GOD Winks on Love: Let the Power of Coincidence Lead You to Love
                                Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                                • If anything this book will be fascinating to read on coincidence
                                • Great Book!
                                • Don't walk...run out and buy this book!
                                • A Big, Vague, Bundle of Contradictions
                                • Mostly believable
                                When GOD Winks on Love: Let the Power of Coincidence Lead You to Love
                                SQuire Rushnell
                                Manufacturer: Atria
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                Self-EsteemSelf-Esteem | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                                FaithFaith | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                MarriageMarriage | Relationships | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                ASIN: 0743492943

                                Book Description

                                You are destined to have a soul mate. If you have faith in the outcome, the picture of love you have in your mind can be yours. So trust...and learn to read the godwinks.

                                Like a jigsaw puzzle in which you know that all the pieces will fit precisely together, the blueprint for your life was written with an exact-fitting piece just for you and your soul mate. Yes, within that jigsaw puzzle called "Your Life," there is a perfect love.

                                Sure, sometimes you feel as if all the pieces have been dumped out on the dining room table and there's no way to get them to fit together. We all do. That's why you must have confidence in the big picture. And that's why you must learn to read the godwinks...those remarkable little coincidences that happen to us all.

                                Customer Reviews:

                                5 out of 5 stars If anything this book will be fascinating to read on coincidence.......2007-03-19

                                Some people are just meant to be and when you think of it ... maybe one ought to just go with the flow when it comes to love. Real life stories of how there is something beyond your control ... God ... and that is a good thing!

                                4 out of 5 stars Great Book! .......2007-02-08

                                I have read all three of Mr. Rusnells books. I think they really make you think about the coincidences in your own life. Many times I have thought about things that happened to me and wondered, how could that be? Why did this happen at this particular time in my life? I thought Mr. Rushnell's book help put these life events in perspective I can't think of a better name then God Winks too!


                                5 out of 5 stars Don't walk...run out and buy this book! .......2007-02-08

                                I am convinced that When God Winks on Love is responsible for leading me to my soulmate. While nursing my latest broken heart, I discovered this book and immediately fell in love with the title. Then, I read (no...devoured) it from cover to cover in one sitting. It's a brilliantly written, easy to read collection of charming (and amazing)stories of how God winks (kind of like road signs letting you know you're going in the right direction) led people to the love of their life. Do the stories seem far fetched? Maybe...but that's the whole point! It proves that while you may think that out of six billion people on the planet, you'll never meet "the one"...in fact, you're on someone's GPS system all the time.

                                Mr. Rushnell is an amazing storyteller. He'll touch your soul and you'll swear he's talking directly to you.

                                Two weeks after I read this book, I met a man...we fell in love...got married...and are now living happily ever after.

                                This little book, along with Mr. Rushnell's other God winks books (I've read them all) have a place on my bookshelf for life.

                                1 out of 5 stars A Big, Vague, Bundle of Contradictions.......2006-07-09

                                In this book's intro it says, "It's no coincidence you opened this book" then "You see, everytime a coincidence occurs, a prayer is answered, or something happens to make you say, 'Wow! What are the odds of that happening?' You've received a godwink, a signpost along the path to your destiny-a message of reassurance that you are never alone."

                                Besides that contradiction, here is more. But first, here's some wishful thinking advice (from his book):

                                "If you have faith in the outcome, the picture you've seen in your mind can be yours."

                                Yep, this is another book rehashing the "if you have enough faith" fairytale. But here are the contradictions. He goes on to say: "You are destined to have a soulmate relationship. ... (godwinks) are signposts of reassurance, guiding you into making your own free will decisions."

                                What the hell, so you are destined, and godwinks are to show you that you aren't alone, no wait, they are reassurances to guide you into making your own free will decisions because you control your own destiny.

                                Oh but that's not all, on page 143, he said, "You must continue to listen to the small, still voice within-your intuition-and make the important choices in your like on your own, bolstered by an awareness that you are surrounded by the invisible safety net of the Almighty, confirmed by godwinks, that you are never alone."

                                That's some great comfort from God, to let you know that you are on your own when it comes to making decisions, and he's not gonna help at all, and even causes coincidences to reassure you that he's not gonna help, and reminds you to make all the hard choices without any help, and is just gonna watch and continue to remind you that he's doing this. Oh and, "let the power of coincidences lead you to love." ... Wait, so now God uses coincidences to tell you who to marry or have sex with, and you should choose, using your free will to go with God's coincidence-advice? I thought he wasn't helpin out with the hard choices?

                                Advice, don't give this book to anyone unless you want them to end up in a mental institute. And saying "free will" is redundant, of course it's free. It seems like this author has an anti-predestination bias, and in his bias is fine with wrecking the minds of those he is trying to make money off of.

                                4 out of 5 stars Mostly believable.......2006-06-30


                                I really enjoyed this book. While I think some of the winks are stretches, there are some that are absolutely amazing. I think for those of us who've had some hurts, it's refreshing to know that God still has some good things in store for us.

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