Book Description
Mudlavia
Elizabeth Stuckey-French
The Brief History of the Dead
Kevin Brockmeier
The Golden Era of Heartbreak
Michael Parker
The Hurt Man
Wendell Berry
The Tutor
Nell Freudenberger
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers
Ben Fountain
The High Divide
Charles D’Ambrosio
Desolation
Gail Jones
A Rich Man
Edward P. Jones
Dues
Dale Peck
Speckle Trout
Ron Rash
Sphinxes
Timothy Crouse
Grace
Paula Fox
Snowbound
Liza Ward
Tea
Nancy Reisman
Christie
Caitlin Macy
Refuge in London
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
The Drowned Woman
Frances De Pontes Peebles
The Card Trick
Tessa Hadley
What You Pawn I Will Redeem
Sherman Alexie
Customer Reviews:
A great collection as usual.......2006-06-30
I have been reading the annual O Henry Awards for about 10 years now and look forward every year to its publication. The new editor changed the date it's published as well as the format a few years ago (the top three winners had been the first three stories in the collection with an introduction written by a judge, but now they are mixed in with the judges thoughts at the end of the collection) Although I didn't like this change at first, this idea actually let me, the reader, decide which short story I thought was best without knowing which ones the judges chose. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a short blip from each author about what inspired/influenced them for this particular story. Again, these were listed at the end of the entire collection. All in all, a wonderful reading experience. I recommend it to everyone who loves a good story and who enjoys a variety of topics and styles - which can easily be found in this collection of works from various prize-winning authors.
Another fine assortment of dark chocolates.......2006-01-02
In her second year editing the O. Henry Prize Stories, Laura Furman once again demonstrates a preference for stories of a tragic, dark nature. "Mudlavia", the first story in the book, concerns a boy's broken family and a life-threatening disease. It is followed by stories whose subject matter is apparent from their titles: "The Brief History of the Dead", "The Golden Era of Heartbreak", "The Hurt Man". Other stories in this collection include "Desolation", "Snowbound", and "The Drowned Woman". So, if lighthearted entertaining reading is what you seek, you are advised to look elsewhere. If, however, you want to read well-written short stories of substance, which are actually not as depressing as one might fear, then I definitely recommend the 2005 edition of The O. Henry Prize Stories.
My favorite story in this year's collection is Ben Fountain's "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers", an exceedingly well-crafted story about the tribulations of an unusually endowed pianist caught up in the religious and political hostilities of turn-of-the-20th century Europe. The story reminds us that, try as we might, we cannot completely separate art and beauty from the gritty realities and problems of the world. Other favorites of mine include the aforementioned "Mudlavia" by Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Edward P. Jones' "A Rich Man", which also appeared in the 2004 Best American Short Stories anthology. Each of these stories is entertaining and captures the reader's interest, while at the same time conveying important ideas and observations about the human condition.
The 2005 edition of the O. Henry Prize Stories has four stories in common with the 2004 Best American Short Stories collection. Both anthologies contain stories published in 2003, but the O. Henry Prize Stories folks skipped 2004 and are now two years off in their numbering scheme. Given that the 2006 edition (covering stories published in 2004) is not due until May of 2006, it appears that Laura Furman and company are falling further behind in their reading. I hope they can catch up, as I enjoy both anthology series. If you can read only one, choose the Best American Short Stories if your tastes tend towards more popular writers and slightly lighter fare. Choose the O. Henry Prize Stories if you are seeking a more complete examination of the dark side of human affairs.
Always a good place to find quality short stories.......2005-09-02
This year's prize anthology is dedicated to Anton Chekhov, the father of the modern short story. Even though none of these stories can be considered a masterpiece, they are all indebted to Chekhov's legacy of an unflinching look at human psychology. Although some of these stories are found in The Best American Short Stories 2004 ("What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie; "A Rich Man" by Edward P. Jones: "Grace" by Paula Fox; "The Tutor" by Nell Freudenberger), most are different, making this anthology a good companion to the other.
Many of these stories are about divorce and parental abandonment, often from the child's point of view. "Mudlavia" by Elizabeth Stuckey-French tells of a boy with what the doctors think is rheumatoid arthritis. He and his mother travel one summer to a spa where they are introduced to a world outside their own. Meanwhile, the boy's father remains at home and is seen by one of the boy's closest friends (who writes to him) with his beautiful "cousin." "The Tutor" is also about the loss, both psychological and real, of a parent, although the themes and emotions run in much more complicated directions. American Julia is in Bombay, living with her father after her mother moved out and hoping to escape to college. Zubin, an American and British education Indian, tutors her for her SATs, and through their relationship, teaches her other essentials things about life. The protagonist of "The High Divide" by Charles D'Ambrosio is a boy living in an orphanage who is befriended by a "public school kid" and his family. The boy, who has lost his father to mental illness, witnesses his friend's own loss as they hike to the High Divide.
One of the more imaginative stories is Kevin Brockemeier's "The Brief History of the Dead," a story about what could only be called limbo: an entire city of dead people that is neither heaven nor hell - it's just a city. As new dead people arrive, they tell of a virus that is wiping out the earth's human population. These mass deaths begin to change the dynamics of the city in a cryptic, unpredictable way. "Desolation" by Gail Jones is one of the less traditional narratives, with its thematic fragments.
With only six out of twenty stories from The New Yorker, this anthology highlights some top-rate fiction from the best literary journals such as The Threepenny Review, Southwest Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review. While stories from Harper's and The Atlantic Monthly are also included, this year's selection veers more away from the commercial publications than in recent years. Readers looking for a sampling of some of the best stories published today will find an uneven but polished collection.
great collection.......2005-04-15
A collection that is easy to read but hard to put down. For those who have little time on hand, these short stories will captivate you just as much as full length (whatever that means) fictions, but are in the meantime much less consuming. A good diversity in styles, both with respect to form and content. Bonus: a composition of short biographies for each author at the back of the book, which introduces the readers to other work by these authors -- a good place to go for additional reading recommendations.
Book Description
Despite her unconventional upbringing -- she'd been adopted off the orphan train by the local "madam" -- Emma Chalmers was the most prim and proper young lady in all of Whitneyville. Why, she wouldn't even permit Fulton Whitney to kiss her, and they were practically engaged!
But when Steven Fairfax landed in her home, wounded in an explosion at the town's raunchiest saloon, his lazy smile made Emma's blood race. Slowly, Steven stilled her fears with his gentle, insistent caresses...until at last she gave herself unashamedly to the splendid passion that was their destiny. Yet now Emma faced a new terror -- for the drifter she loved so desperately was a wanted man, and his past was about to catch up with him!
Customer Reviews:
Emma And The Outlaw.......2007-03-15
I enjoyed this book. I had read another in the series and I wanted to know what happened to Emma and the other sister. It was a good story and had a happy ending for the girls. The story of each girl was different and thus was not redundant as some series are.
Stop!Please make it stop!.......2007-01-23
Ok it starts out pretty good but it soon turns. The guy is awful! He's a complete jerk who loves to bend Emma to his will every chance he can. The first love scene he almost has her and that's only after a few days in the book! He doesn't even care that she's innocent or that he's wanted he keeps coming after her! She is so annoying,she bends to him at every turn never standing up for herself. There exactly 8 love scenes and bout 4 half ones were just start out and then it goes to the next scene. Can someone say over kill? Belive me I love love scenes but it just got boring with so many. And what it is up with miss Miller and spankings and beating up of women. Yeah I like my books to be real but I don't want [...] like that in them it ruins the whole thing.
I missed the first book but I will buy it........2006-03-03
I loved this book. It was definately a page turner. I was captivated in the whole story from begining to end. I am a new Linda Lael Miller fan and I am so glad that I took the time to sit down and read her books. She is a wonderful writer and it shows in this book
When Emma was seven years old she was put on an orpan train by her mother. She was accompanied by her 2 sisters, Caroline and Lily. Caroline, being the oldest was the first to get adopted off the train. Then Emma was next in another town. She begged the lady to take Lily too but the lady refused.
While on the way to her new home from the train, Emma and her new "mother" bumped into Ms. Chloe Reese. Chloe bought Emma from the lady and took her home and fed her.
Thirteen years later, Emma, the most proper of all women, is involved with Fulton Whitney, one of the richest and most respected men in all of Whitneyville. Until she meets Mr. Steven Fairfax.
She gets excited when Steven is around and she doesn't understand why. As she is falling in love with a man she barely knows, and is considered an outlaw, she can't figure out why he makes her feel the way she does. She has never felt this way and is the first to try to deny it.
After everything that happened Steven is taking a heard of cattle to Washington. When he is gone Macon drops by to find his brother and that is when all the drama begins.
I recommend this book to any one who is a Linda Lael Miller fan. Even if you aren't yet, try reading one of her books.They are amazing.
Not too bad but Lily was better.......2001-02-03
This is the 1st book in the orphan train series of the 3 sisters lily , emma and caroline .I found this to be quite nice but the book but it could be quite draggy at the back .The ohter sister lily had more of a back bone and was much more in teresting to read but this is quite exciting as you are able to learn the outlaw's background and how he was and how he became an outlaw . You will also learn that emma was brought up by the town's prostitute and how her irritating fiance was such a creep amd how she dumped him(you go girl!) As for the rest , you can just read on....
Captivatingly Passionate!.......2001-01-09
"Emma and the Outlaw" is one of the most spellbinding tales I have read to date. The hilarious wit of Emma mixed with the charming arrogance of her hearts desire, Steven, makes this book a genuine page-turner. Add in the most unlikely mother, Chloe, who just happens to be the local madam, the side-splitting retorts from maid Daisy and the bratty antics of Fulton and you have treasure trove of characters that will keep you begging for more. Complete with a murder mystery that needs to be solved and a twist in the end, you will not be disappointed.
While the love scenes are very passionate and sensual, they are far from "pornographic" as some readers have stated in earlier reviews. I found them to be very well written without being vulgar.
"Emma and the Outlaw" is part two of the Orphan Train Trilogy. The trilogy is as follows:
Part 1 - Lily and the Major
Part 2 - Emma and the Outlaw
Part 3 - Caroline and the Raider
Enjoy!
Book Description
Wyatt Earp. Doc Holliday. Ike Clanton.
You think you know the story. You don’t.
Tombstone, Arizona in 1881 is the site of one of the richest mineral strikes in American history, where veins of silver run like ley lines under the earth, a network of power that belongs to anyone who knows how to claim and defend it.
Above the ground, power is also about allegiances. A magician can drain his friends' strength to strengthen himself, and can place them between him and danger. The one with the most friends stands to win the territory.
Jesse Fox left his Eastern college education to travel West, where he’s made some decidedly odd friends, like the physician Chow Lung, who insists that Jesse has a talent for magic. In Tombstone, Jesse meets the tubercular Doc Holliday, whose inner magic is as suppressed as his own, but whose power is enough to attract the sorcerous attention of Wyatt Earp.
Mildred Benjamin is a young widow making her living as a newspaper typesetter, and--unbeknownst to the other ladies of Tombstone--selling tales of Western derring-do to the magazines back East. Like Jesse, Mildred has episodes of seeing things that can’t possibly be there.
When a failed stage holdup results in two dead, Tombstone explodes with speculation about who attempted the robbery. The truth could destroy Earp's plans for wealth and glory, and he'll do anything to bury it. Meanwhile, outlaw leader John Ringo wants the same turf as Earp. Each courts Jesse as an ally, and tries to isolate him by endangering his friends, as they struggle for magical dominance of the territory.
Events are building toward the shootout of which you may have heard. But you haven't heard the whole, secret story until you've read Emma Bull's unique take on an American legend, in which absolutely nothing is as it seems...
Customer Reviews:
Not a good western.......2007-10-06
Initially I was attracted to this book because I have never watched a western movie or read a western book besides Back to the Future 3. I thought this one would be constantly grimey and tough in a good way because thats what I am in the mood for. It only achieves this from time to time. I have gotten to chapter five and I have yet to find any piece of plot or overall constructed theme. I can't read the rest for fear it will waste my precious time living on this earth. A character gets shot in the beginning, and the mysterious Jesse walks into the saloon, and I am still reading many pages with no mention of this shot man at all. The book cuts to Mildred doing absolutely nothing but ruining the book by being a snot to other rail thin characters (mostly in her own mind, no less). It started to feel like I was reading Ayn Rand. Jesse's description is so well constructed and cool to the point where its not as fun to read about Wyatt & Doc holiday etc. I have no idea who Doc & Wyatt really are because they have absolutely no background. They just start talking and doing things. It would be like writing a story about Santa Clause eating at Mcdonalds if I had no idea who Santa Claus was. The story drifts between characters I dislike very much (Mildred), who ruin the tone of the book, and their mentioning events that sound potentially incredibly exciting, but are never described in real time (stage coach robbing & manhunt). To cover up the lack foresight in the character's actions in previous chapters she describes Jesse as "sleepwalking." I think Emma Bull must have been "sleepwalking". If this was supposed to be a fantasy then something fantastic should have happened on the first page. If this was supposed to be a western, the tone of the book should have stayed more consistent. I felt like I was being teleported to a drug induced cyberpunk china and then into a woman's catty nonsensical brain that is being dried up in the desert. Note to Emma Bull: Please rewrite this book without the fluffy Mildred, make it hardcore wild west, and stick to a pre-constructed plot like glue. I absolutely loved small parts of this book because of the author's talent, but even that gets ruined by chapter 2.
ok.......2007-10-05
I found it disappointing. Perhaps it's because I've been camping out near Tombstone, I didn't think Bull caught the territory, the ground, the heat, the smells, etc.
The book just didn't work for me. I noticed the writer putting in sensory details, then apparently forgetting them - one mention of heat, then nothing else in the scene, that kind of writing. Only two characters sort of came alive, fortunately the main two - Jesse and Millie. Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp were wasted; could have been any characters with any names. Tombstone was wasted; as the book struck me, the story could just as well have been set in Europe, or on Altair.
*spoiler*
Finally, I didn't see the point of the ending bits. The other guy (name escapes me, the one who started the fire and had Jesse's buddy murderd) is completely ignored. Wyatt is now handicapped, but so what? He wasn't the one causing the actual problems. His presence I take to have contributed to them. But to deal with him and leave untouched the other guy who actually did visible harm to innocents was unsatisfactory. Yes, I can figure out that Bull was pointing to the famous shoot out. So? The damage done by the other guy was in this book. He wasn't dealt with.
Where's the Editor?.......2007-09-30
This is a well-written book in which the characters come alive. However, the story never goes anywhere. Didn't her editor ask her whether she forgot to send the last chapter?
Modern fantasy in the Old West.......2007-09-12
Emma Bull's latest novel is a great blend of modern fantasy technique with an Old West setting. Set in the boom town of Tombstone, the novel gives the reader an intimate portrait of the time and place. You learn great historical tidbits about things like the population of Chinese immigrants, the town's newspapers and the various saloons. Emma also breathes life into historical figures like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, not to mention characters that normally get left out of the stories, such as the wives of those central figures.
If that wasn't enough, she also describes the desert countryside surrounding Tombstone with loving detail. If you've never seen the life in a desert, she shows you where it's hiding and reveals the changes that seasons bring to that seemingly-unchanging landscape.
And then Emma goes that little extra step: she layers magic into the story. The manner of its introduction and its impact upon events begins so subtly that by the time you're sure that a particular thing is magical or a certain element is fantastic, you're already deep into believing the reality of the characters and setting. You've been transported to a world not that much different than our own. The landmarks are familiar but the territory is unexplored. Emma then takes you on a tour and shows you a good time while doing so; she is a masterful story-teller.
Magic and the Old West..........2007-09-01
The Old West already has a lot of Magic in its myths and legend, with the events and people leading up to the Shootout at the O.K. Corral making up a part of it, so it comes as no surprise that this setting has been mined (!) once more in fiction for Bull's latest novel.
Tombstone, the lawless silver-load, cattle-rustling boom-town on the edge of civilization lends great atmosphere. Here is a snapshot in enough detail that we can feel we are there amongst the miners, cowboys and townsfolk. A snapshot is sufficient since we know that as quick as it has sprung up, Tombstone is as ephemeral as the lives of those residing at Boot Hill. The addition of a bit of magic is almost a natural thing amongst the machinations of the lawmen and the cowboys and the loyalties of clans and associations and the images the names of these men invoke.
Into this conjunction of history and legend drifts our reluctant hero, Jesse Fox, an educated Easterner who has escaped to the freedom and recklessness of the West and is reluctantly convinced that Conjure-men exist and are alive and fighting in the Arizona Territory. He is drawn into events first by his friend and tutor, a sort of Chinese "medicine-man"--and by his interest in the widow Millie Benjamin, who is a fledgling story-writer and reporter for one of the local newspapers.
The writing style is atmospheric, pacing seems leisurely--but plenty enough is happening, taking care to set the scene, hint at a number of mysteries and to develop character. Suspense we bring to it--with the shoot-out looming, and is subtly nurtured.
This is the first of two books--according to one of the Amazon blurbs. I wouldn't have known from any sub-titling on the book itself--but the book ends before the shoot-out, so I could have hazarded a guess.
I'm not ordinarily a huge fan of the Old West as a setting, but Bull definitely evokes the strange magic of it, giving us fascinating new characters, as well as delineating historic characters who have always had a fascination all their own. I will look forward to reading the sequel.
Product Description
Bookclub ed hardback. Part of the Orphan Train Trilogy.
Customer Reviews:
For the Love of an Outlaw.......2007-04-11
This is LINDA LAEL MILLER'S book, EMMA AND THE OUTLAW. A tale of love involving Emma, a young woman of 20, a librarian who has also set out to finding her two sisters, all who were abandoned by their mother at a young age. Emma places an ad offering a reward for information leading to the whereabouts of her sister. Emma is also engaged to marry a man she does not love, but feels obligated to marry anyway. All of this changes the day, Steven Fairfax, a man termed "an outlaw" comes into town and walks into Emma's life. From that day on Emma is a changed woman and when she takes on the duty of nursing Steven after he is injured, she becomes further aware of him and he of her. Emma forgets that she is an engaged woman when Steven's charms begin to work on her. Even though he has a checkered past, Emma cannot forget how she feels towards Steven. Also, Emma cannot forget her desire to locate Lily and Caroline Chalmers. Emma's life is an adventurous one of love and danger, of which love conquers all. This is the second book in the Orphan Train Triology about the Chalmers sisters. The first is "Lily and the Major" and the third is "Caroline and the Raider." They can be read alone, but are great together.
It was wonderful revisiting the spirited Emma and her sisters.
Average customer rating:
- A little too much Florence and not enough Maybrick
- Last Victim
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Last Victim
Anne E. Graham ,
Carol Emmas , and
Graham
Manufacturer: Headline Book Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
London | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0747262063 |
Book Description
August, 1889. Twenty-seven-year-old Florence Maybrick is sentenced to death for poisoning her husband, Liverpool cotton broker James Maybrick, in one of the most infamous trials in British legal history. But what was the truth behind Maybrick¹s death? And how was it connected to a spate of terrible murders in London¹s East End? Florence¹s turbulent life ‹ her marriage to a man widely believed to be the most notorious serial killer of all time, her sensational trial and imprisonment ‹ is the stuff of high drama. Revealing startling new evidence that puts a dramatic twist on Maybrick¹s death, The Last Victim is a fascinating historical re-evaluation of one of the most extraordinary true crime puzzles of all time.
Customer Reviews:
A little too much Florence and not enough Maybrick.......2001-08-03
There's no doubt that the story of Florence Maybrick and her trial and travails is a fascinating one, and the author, who is believed to be an indirect descendant of "Florrie's", has done a very good job of recounting it.
The trial of Florence Maybrick for the murder of her husband James and her life afterwards was already one of the most famous sagas in the history of "true crime" and, as such, has already been the subject of other books.
But another more recent treatment is appropriate in light of the recent finding of the diary that identifies James Maybrick as "Jack the Ripper", the notorious East End serial killer of prostitutes.
The diary's authenticity and the identification of Maybrick as the "Ripper" have been hotly disputed since the diary was first made public. Shirley Harrison's publication of the diary, complete with commentary, and Paul Feldman's investigative work are excellent treatments of the subject, which strongly suggest that the diary is indeed genuine and that the most famous unsolved serial killings are no longer unsolved.
But this particular book will disappoint those who are primarily interested in the Maybrick/Ripper angle. As Ms. Graham candidly states in her forward, she did not write the book with the intention of providing any more proof that James Maybrick was the Ripper; she has left that task to others. Therefore, this book does not add any information to that produced by Harrison and Feldman.
Instead, this is principally "Florrie's" story, and the author has simply incorporated the Maybrick/Ripper information produced by the others and woven it into the fabric of Florrie's story. And that story stands on its own, but it leaves the reader even more puzzled about how Florrie and her associates, to an individual, managed to keep their amazing knowledge secret even BEYOND their deaths. The book disappoints in that it makes the Maybrick/Ripper connection a little MORE speculative, not less so.
Last Victim.......2000-03-25
Wonderful, and very informative. Graham obviously knows a lot about the Maybrick case and Jack the Ripper, and she skillfully weaves a convincing and interesting argument that they were connected. One of the best books I've read lately!
Average customer rating:
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Tonight and Always, Emma and the Outlaw, One Wish
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Pocket books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Miller, Linda Lael | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000V6SW94 |
Product Description
Tonight and Always: Kristina's smoldering beauty befits a child of vampires, but Kristina does not possess their dark seductive gifts. Within her stirs a power that goes beyond the blood of life, beyond nature herself, allowing Kristina to move objects by will alone-across her parlor or across the globe in the very blink of an eye. But she has not completely escaped her cursed bloodline; for Kristina's ethereal beauty is indeed timeless. Outwardly she remains young, when in truth she has seen the passing of more than a century. The one time she dared give her heart to a mortal man, she suffered the torment of his mortality, and vowed never to love again, until now.Emma and the Outlaw: The librarian of her frontier town in Idaho Territory, Emma Chalmers was as prim and proper as her occupation implied; despite her unconventional upbringing by the local madam. She wouldn't even permit Fulton Whitney to kiss her, & they were practically engaged. But when Steven Fairfax landed in her home, wounded in an explosion at a rowdy saloon, his lazy smile made Emma's blood race. Slowly, Steven stilled her fears with his gently, insistent caresses; until at last she gave herself unashamedly to the splendid passion that was their destiny. Yet now Emma faced a new terror, the drifter she loved so desperately was a wanted man, & his past was about to catch up with him.One Wish: She's the only child of a powerful rancher. He's the son of a ne'er-do-well. But when 11 yr. old Luke Shardlow rescues 8 yr. old Charity Barnham from drowning, she promised him any wish he wanted. 15 yrs. later, Charity and Luke meet again, but the but everything is still the same. Charity is engaged to a neighbor her father selected, and Luke seems to be like his father. But things do change, for Luke has some secrets. And as they begin to feel a passion growing Luke and Charity discover all they need is to have a sweet eternity in each other's arms.
Average customer rating:
- conceptual overlap with Off Armageddon Reef
- Terrific continuation
- great sequel with awesome space battle scenes
- Easier to Swallow that Book 1
- Good offering
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The Armageddon Inheritance
David Weber
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Weber, David
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Heirs of Empire (Dahak Series)
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Mutineer's Moon (Dahak Series)
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Empire from the Ashes
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Path of the Fury
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Crusade
ASIN: 0671721976 |
Customer Reviews:
conceptual overlap with Off Armageddon Reef.......2007-02-22
This book is the middle one in a trilogy, commencing with Mutineer's Moon and ending with Heirs of Empire. Weber wrote these in the early 90s and never extended these, as of 2007. He has certainly been busy writing much else in science fiction.
But it turns out that this year, 2007, he has recast this trilogy in a new series, that starts with "Off Armageddon Reef". The latter just came out, in hardcover, and is ubiquitous in many bookstores. A far more numerous presence than those earlier books, when they first came out.
The overlap in the basic premises between the trilogy and OAR is striking. Out there in space is a genocidal race, deploying immense fleets. A mortal threat to humans. The opening chapter in OAR talks about 24th century humans, being destroyed on its worlds by far more numerous fleets. In Armageddon Inheritance, we see in a different universe how this conflict might have gone otherwise. Here, the enemy fleets are millions strong. But Weber writes ingeniously, in the tradition of grand space opera, of an embattled human fleet, that takes them on and wins, at least for now. Readers of OAR who gritted their teeth at the human defeat can read a different conclusion.
I do wonder at the coincidence of "Armageddon" in this book's title and in OAR. The plots clearly overlap. Was this recurrent word an explicit hint to the reader?
If you have read OAR, but not this trilogy, and are waiting for Weber to write more in the new series, then you should check out these books.
Terrific continuation.......2007-01-27
Colin, now self-declared Governor of Earth, has defeated Anu's mutineers. However, now the true count-down begins, as the Achuultani are just over 2 years away and somehow he has to unite the entire world and prepare them to use the Imperial technology that will, hopefully, save Earth. He also decides to go and search for Imperial help - unfortunately he doesn't find any, but in an amusing twist he ends up the new Emperor.
This novel doesn't give much time to breath and the Achuultani keep coming; in total somewhere around 3 million ships are sent to break on the shoals of the Sol system. We also discover at least a tiny bit of their reasoning for their rampage through the galaxy and that they are technically called Aku'Ultan. This is a most entertaining series and indeed I am well to half-way through the final book already and am quite enjoying it at well. Give these most excellent books by Weber a try!
great sequel with awesome space battle scenes.......2006-02-24
My title says it all. The story line is solid and the awesome battle scenes are just the icing on the cake. Plus, I really enjoy dual scene stories.
Easier to Swallow that Book 1.......2005-10-17
I thoroughly enjoyed MUTINEERS MOON but it did take me a while to get into it. The plotline was just outlandish enough to require an extra effort to get in the right frame of mind. Still, It was lots of fun. I had no such problems with the ARMAGEDDON INHERITANCE. It picks up where the first left off and now humanity must prepare for the onslaught of some nasty aliens making their way across the galaxy. The problem is that early 21st century Earth technology is probably not up to the task at hand.
They do have an ace in the hole. Dahak, the self aware ship posing as Earth's moon is a formidable weapon. It is also part of a 50,000 year old fleet designed to face just this menace. All that is needed is for earth to hold out while the ship and its crew go looking for help from the rest of the fleet. That proves a bit more difficult than one would suppose.
It's a fine story. Nothing meaty, just entertainment
Good offering.......2005-01-25
This is the 2nd book from the "Empire from the Ashes" Trilogy. It is a fast-paced and fun read.
It is an improvement in virtually every way versus the original book from the Trilogy - Mutineer's Moon, which was a decent offering itself. It is larger, faster-paced, and has a less confusing presentation. Especially improved is the "maturity level" of the writing style, which was a definate sore spot in the first book, but which still could stand some improvement here. Another major advancement is in the area of Earth-bound politics - the first book was published in 1991, and still carried a lot of Cold War baggage, this book came out in 1994, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, so there are less political non-sequitors.
Dahak's evolution into a sentient being is one of the highlights of the book... along with numerous and exciting battle scenes. The Achuultani are interesting and worthy alien enemies, and many surprises await potential readers(I don't want to spoil the ending).
Another point worth commenting on, this trilogy appears to offer enough material to form the basis for a television series, and possibly even a feature-length movie or two.
I'm looking forward to getting started on the final and largest book from this trilogy - Heirs of Empire.
Book Description
Anyone wanting to understand Pope Benedict XVI's view of the relationship between Christianity and the world must read this eloquent book. Secular thought has failed to answer the great questions of human existence. Benedict XVI invites us to rediscover the Christ-centered basis for hope.
Customer Reviews:
A brilliant account of VIRTUE!.......2006-02-27
This is a very beautiful and brilliant account in virtues. If you are a Christian, ya gotta strive to get it right. If your a Buddhist, the same is true. If your Jewish, live it! Whatever the Faith of any Individual, it must be reflected or attempted to be driven towards the reflection of their life experiences. Not too much to say about this book except that it needs to be read! It needs to have an impact on the lives that it comes in touch with. Otherwise, what's the point in pretending to be someone your not or don't care to be?
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