Book Description
A young divorcee finds herself marooned in the countryside, surrounded by clutter, children, and hens. This charming, wickedly funny, exuberant novel is the talented young author's U.S. debut.
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When Venetia Summers abandoned her lively London life for marriage and a move out of town, it seemed that her future was all set. But a decade later her husband walks out, and suddenly she's a single mother of three with no particular skills, living in the sticks, calling upon all her wit and resourcefulness to hold together her newly lopsided family. Hens Dancing follows Venetia's life for the next year as she wages everyday battles -- the children are temperamental, the house and garden are badly in need of repair, the bathroom renovation is a nightmare, and there's never enough money. But there are consolations: the kaleidoscope loveliness of the Norfolk seasons, a houseful of animals, nighttime picnics, the regal serenity of Venetia's baby daughter -- called simply the Beauty -- and a family closeness that has hitherto escaped them. Like Bridget Jones's Diary, this novel has the word-of-mouth appeal of a truly funny, intelligently told story that takes you deep into someone else's life.
Customer Reviews:
Hens Dancing.......2004-12-03
I loved this book - almost a modern day Nancy Mitford style. Warm and amusing without bitterness. Great characters. I heartily reccommend it for those looking for a light read with a precise and edgy british writing style.
Wonderful book. Read, relax & enjoy!.......2003-01-05
I read both Hens Dancing and Summertime & enjoyed them immensely. I love this type of fun "women's fiction" book. The book is in diary form and follows Venetia through a year of her life as an eccentric single mother of three. The setting is small town/rural outside of London. She is an artistic type character who can't seem to ever get herself as together and organized as all the other mothers at her childrens' school. The house is never clean, the laundry is never done, her love of gardening never seems to result in a beautiful garden, and random pets & other animals are always creating havoc. It was great fun! I highly recommend this book as well as the sequel, Summertime.
Lovely!.......2002-09-04
Feeling a bit blue? Well pick up this book and you'll be cheered up in no time. It's funny and smart, and even better, the sequel is just as good.
A Must-Read for Every Busy Mom.......2002-07-06
Here's the perfect book to tuck in your bag to pull out and read while waiting for another child to finish a lesson. Although hysterically funny is a dry, British sort of way, it is subtly inspirational and infuses one with a can-do attitude. Even on the most hectic days, I am grateful I have never had to use the dog's leash for a belt!
Bridgit meets Maeve.......2002-06-20
This book was such a delight to read when I only had a few minutes or when I could spend the afternoon reading. I fell in love with the main character and the cadence of the writing. It seemed to combine all the best parts of Maeve Binchy books with Bridgit Jones. A great, fun read.
Book Description
The acclaimed Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies established Robin Hobb as one of the most splendidly imaginative practitioners of world-class fantasy.
Now, in Book 2 of her most stunning trilogy yet, Hobb continues the soul-shattering tale of FitzChivalry Farseer. With rich characters, breathtaking magic, and sweeping action,
Golden Fool brings the reluctant adventurer further into the fray in an epic of sacrifice, salvation, and untold treachery.
Golden Fool
Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. But for FitzChivalry Farseer, a return to isolation is impossible. Though gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, Fitz must take up residence at Buckkeep and resume his tasks as Chade’s apprentice assassin. Posing as Tom Badgerlock, bodyguard to Lord Golden, FitzChivalry becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls. And with his old mentor failing visibly, Fitz is forced to take on more burdens as he attempts to guide a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day.
The problems are legion. Prince Dutiful’s betrothal to the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands is fraught with tension, and the Narcheska herself appears to be hiding an array of secrets. Then, amid Piebald threats and the increasing persecution of the Witted, FitzChivalry must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—a secret that could topple the Farseer throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.”
Meanwhile, FitzChivalry must impart to the Prince his limited knowledge of the Skill: the hereditary and addictive magic of the Farseers. In the process, they discover within Buckkeep one who has a wild and powerful talent for it, and whose enmity for Fitz may have disastrous consequences for all.
Only Fitz’s enduring friendship with the Fool brings him any solace. But even that is shattered when unexpected visitors from Bingtown reveal devastating secrets from the Fool’s past. Now, bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz’s biggest challenge may be simply to survive the inescapable and violent path that fate has laid out for him.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. But for FitzChivalry Farseer, a return to isolation is impossible. Though gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, Fitz must take up residence at Buckkeep and resume his tasks as Chade's apprentice assassin. Posing as Tom Badgerlock, bodyguard to Lord Golden, FitzChivalry becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls. And with his old mentor failing visibly, Fitz is forced to take on more burdens as he attempts to guide a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day.
The problems are legion. Prince Dutiful's betrothal to the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands is fraught with tension, and the Narcheska herself appears to be hiding an array of secrets. Then, amid Piebald threats and the increasing persecution of the Witted, FitzChivalry must ensure that no one betrays the Prince's secret -- a secret that could topple the Farseer throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread "beast magic."
Meanwhile, FitzChivalry must impart to the Prince his limited knowledge of the Skill: the hereditary and addictive magic of the Farseers. In the process, they discover within Buckkeep one who has a wild and powerful talent for it, and whose enmity for Fitz may have disastrous consequences for all.
Only Fitz's enduring friendship with the Fool brings him any solace. But even that is shattered when unexpected visitors from Bingtown reveal devastating secrets from the Fool's past. Now, bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz's biggest challenge may be simply to survive the inescapable and violent path that fate has laid out for him.
Customer Reviews:
the subtleties of relationships [no spoilers].......2007-07-18
FitzChivalry Farseer narrates "The Tawny Man: Golden Fool", the second novel in "The Tawny Man Trilogy", resuming his Tom Badgerlock persona. The storyline slowly builds surrounding the Chalced and Piebald threats upon the kingdom and Prince Dutiful's betrothal with the Outislanders' Narcheska. Further concerns from "The Liveship Traders Trilogy" could potentially impact the overall plot.
Fitz adjusts to city life at Buckkeep among the associated court intrigue, yet he spends more time complaining about his own duties and arguing with everyone else. Web, a charming person of the Old Blood, and Swift, one of Burrich's sons, emerge near the end as prospective companions. Sadly, the hedge-witch Jinna has been reduced to more of a more minor role after an engaging initial appearance.
In a series based on relationships and the motivations thereof, the loss of Nighteyes not only made a noteworthy impact on the former assassin but also left a gap in the cast of characters and changed the plot flow after four novels. Fitz places significant emphasis on the strain between he and the Fool with their roles as the Catalyst and White Prophet in addition to the burden of the student and teacher interaction. A more detailed map of the significant terrains and comprehensive appendix would have been useful.
I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.
Thank you.
Hobb strikes back..........2007-04-14
This book is much better than the first book in this series, as it has much more to offer in terms of plot. However, most of the substance of this book is dervied from small events, and small revelations, which fill the book up like puzzle pieces that provide little clue as to how the series will conclude. Few things happen in this book that seem to have a lot of signficance in terms of the master plot (which is incredibly vague) or taken on their own account, but they offer lots of room for speculation (which some space is devoted to Fitz's own speculation as to what is going on) and on the whole it provides a slightly different form of entertainment.
The other theme of this book (really the series) is relationships. Fitz deals with the loss of the wolf. Fitz's relationship with his estranged daughter. Fitz's relationship with the minstrel Starling. Fitz's relationship with the hedgewitch Jinna. Hap's relationships with girls and work, combined with Fitz's fatherly relationship with Hap and his associates. Fitz's relationship with the half-wit Thick. Fitz's relationship with the queen Ketricken. Fitz's relationship with Chade. Fitz's relationship with the huntress Laurel and the Old Blood, and the Piebalds. The Queen's relationship with the Witted. Prince Dutiful's relationship with the Witted and with the Narcheska. Fitz's relationship with Prince Dutiful. And, finally, Fitz's relatioship with the Fool.
If that doesn't sound confusing, you missed the point. There is a lot going on here, relationship-wise, and this, for this book IS the story. Well, if you toss in spying and speculating and the Skill then that is pretty much the story.
This series has a similar plot derivative of the first series. If you compare both series, you notice Book one, 1) Fitz develops 2) Conflict is explained; Book two 1) Conflict develops further 2) the Quest is found to fix it 3) Fitz nearly dies; Book three 1)Conflic climaxes 2)Quest develops and concludes. Now in the first series, Fitz actually does die, but he is revived so neatly, you might consider it a "near death" experience like in this series. I haven't read the third book in this series, but I pretty much expect it to be similar.
As in all my reviews, I protest Fitz ever being classified as an assassin, but the use of that title is minimized in this series, and actually, Fitz seems more brutal in this series anyway. Not necessarily assassin type, more of a thug, and capable of casual violence (in the previous series it was self-defense or defending the king)... just not steathful like an assassin. It's not that I love violence, but I like characters to be described accurately is all. Assassins should at least seem capable of despicable behavior.
My other qualm in this book particually is the magic of the Skill. I don't understand:
1) why it is common (in this book we learn that there are many weakly skilled people: does this mean many royal bastards had illegitamate children who became common folk? Remember Shrewd said that even Fitz should marry someone who was a noble?)
2) why not everyone is trained (like in the first series, and I believe it was explained that it should be limited to royalty, but in this series there are many people who have it and develop it all on their own with no training, so holding back training prevents what?)
3) why you can heal with it (isn't the Wit the one that has to do with "life-force?") What does telepathy have to do with healing?
I expect more explanation in the third book, and Hobb can be good at tying up loose ends, but overall the experience in these books pales in comparison to the live-ship traders series. I feel Fitz never developed properly as a character, despite all his hardships. There should have been more conflict in his life besides Regal's torture and his own problems dealing with his inability to marry the girl he chooses. Conflict that could have brough out some inner strength, some heroic qualities, some more solid formation of Fitz's identity. These are absent, and since Fitz takes a break from reality and postpones finding himself a purposeful life in the first half of Fool's Errand, Fitz is left with this bizarre array of relationships with no clear direction.
The parallels in this book are there. The parallels with what Fitz wants for Hap and what Fitz wants for himself. The parallels with what Fitz wants for Dutiful and what Dutiful wants for himself. Now, Fitz has a high born son and a common son, and does he want something different for both?
Clearly the ending has something to do with both the Skill and the whole Robert Jordan inspired "wheel of time" type thing with the white prophet and the catalyst. I must say, I am eager to find out how the series ends, because there are a lot of things here I am anxious to see resolved.
The rating is high because of the anticipation created rather than my actual enjoyment of the book itself. The book itself I would rate a three, but since I am overall harsh on the Farseer and Tawny Man trilogys, I will be gracious with my four star rating...
Brings the Farseer and Liveship trilogies together. Excellent!.......2007-03-13
Hobb continues to impress in this 2nd book of the Tawny Man trilogy. Intricate plot lines keep you thinking, guessing, and reading. You'll fall in love with these characters and agonize over their problems and mistakes. Robin Hobb can bring a story to life like a true master and I'd consider her to be one of the very best authors out there.
Golden Fool brings together the first two Hobb trilogies, with Bingtown traders coming to Buckkeep to petition for aid against Chalced and revealing the rebirth of true dragons to the world. Mysteries about the Farseer trilogy are further explained here, principally about the nature of the Six Duchies dragons and the Elderlings. Additionally, the nature of the Fool is further revealed, and his ties to the White Lady and opposing destinies adds to the wonder of the tale.
In this book, Fitz, Dutiful and co. are all at Buckkeep, working to prepare for the future. Court intrigue and diplomacy replace the breakneck action from the first book. Negotiations with delegations from the Out Islands, Bingtown, and the Old Blood take up the majority of the book, each adding its own element of mystery to an increasingly complex (and beautiful) plot. As Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is kept busy as Lord Golden's bodyguard as well as secretly training the prince and Thick in the Skill, while being distressed by his daughter Nettle and an even stranger voice (whom you suspect to be Tintaglia the dragon). As a part-time spy for Chade, Fitz observes a number of puzzling things, including the intricate (and painful) tattoo on the Narcheska's back. As usual, distrust runs rampant through Buckkeep, with friends keeping too many secrets from one another. The reader gets the feeling that many mysteries could be solved with a little better communication between Fitz and his comrades.
The book ends on a high note, with all of the companions safe and together and the prince about to journey to the Out Islands on what will surely be a monumental quest. Many questions and mysteries are left for the final book in the series, and I'm sure that it will be terrific.
The gripping nature of this tale continues.......2007-02-25
The second book in The Tawny Man series continues along at a speedy pace, drawing the reader further into the machinations of the Farseer court. The political intrigue involving Skill, Wit and prophesying is still a page-turner and one cannot stand to put the book down. One always wants to know what happens next. You won't be disappointed!
No sophmore slump here.......2006-09-22
In Fool's Errand we were introduced to Ms. Hobb's outstanding ability to surprise us - yet again - when we think we've heard everything there is to know about the world she's created and the characters we've come to love and enjoy. And this book is no different. We are introduced to a considerable amount of "new things", and "possible new things".
Dutiful's betrothed is the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands - the same Out Islands who peppered the Farseer trilogy with the Red Ship Raiders and created horrors from citizens in the Six Duchies that were dubbed the Forged Ones. The two kingdoms are attempting the typical "medieval truce", but when the Narcheska arrives with her retinue, it is obvious that their cultures are so considerably dissimilar that any pairing between the two seems unlikely. Not exactly Eleanor of Aquitane and Henry II.
And as always, with everything that Robin Hobbs has written, there is more here than meets the eye. Luckily, our Catalyst, Fitz, is quite adept at his role of "royal spy", and sees just enough to know something is very wrong. What he sees is fascinating.
Robin Hobb gives us just enough information to intrigue us, but not enough to give anything away. This is not a skill to be undervalued - this is one of the skills that separates good writers from great writers. I would place Ms. Hobb squarely in the latter.
Serving as almost more of a foreground than a background is the need for the prince to learn how to both Skill and use the Wit. Chade demands that Fitz be his tutor, for who else could do both, but Fitz finds himself considerably at odds with the ethics of teaching anyone to use the Skill. Chade does not share these ethical qualms (unsurprisingly), and has designs of his own with the Skill.
While the Out Islanders are at Buckkeep Castle, Bingtown traders arrive unannounced asking for help from the Six Duchies in their seemingly never ending war with the Chalced states. This upsets the Out Ilsanders, but as you get to know them you have to wonder what doesn't. The Bingtown traders bring some startling revelations about the identity of Lord Golden, and Fitz finds himself fitted with yet one more burden as a result. As if he needs more. Robin Hobb spent three books in the Farseer trilogy practically slaughtering him, and she's back at it again. She took Nighteyes from him in Fool's Errand (not a spoiler because it's on the jacket of this book), and now he juggles a relationship with Dutiful, who is his physical son, and other relations of his that come into his life unannounced and certainly unlooked for. If Fitz survives this trilogy intact, it will amaze me. Ms. Hobb has hit Fitz harder than Donaldson hit Thomas Covenant, and that's saying a lot.
But she hasn't done it gratuitously. Her treatment of Fitz, so to speak, has arisen out of his role as the Fool's Catalyst. There was/is no one else suited to bear his burdens by the nature of his existence.
Back to the story...
The Prince is a child. The Narcheska is a child. The Prince spoke out of turn, and the Narcheska believes that he slighted her. Therefore, in her youthful genius, she commands of him a ridiculous and impossible task: to bring her the head of a dragon, and not any dragon (as if there are multitudes), but her people's legendary "champion". Dutiful foolishly accepts the quest before his mother can put a stop to the nonsense, and as he has given his word, she must go along with his decision.
Now Chade has all of the ammunition he needs to demand that the Prince have a coterie, but what the Prince gets isn't quite what Chade expected. It might be, however, just what he needs.
Robin Hobb fans - enjoy this. It is a feast.
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CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
 Mariology | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Luther, Martin | ( L ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Augustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1931848076
Release Date: 2006-12-15 |
Product Description
The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.
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April fool! (Tiny golden library)
Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt
Manufacturer: Golden Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Books | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fiction | General | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007I9H4A |
Average customer rating:
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The Golden Fool
Manufacturer: The Macmillan Company, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E3S3QQ |
Product Description
Divine paints an unforgettable picture of Africa -- green, hot, fertile. His story combines the unusual setting of South Africa, now so popular, with the suspense of a Hitchcock thiller. A version of this book appeared in - The Saturday Evening Post - under the title, "The Devil's Gold".
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The Golden Fool
Robin Hobb
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
ASIN: 0007160380 |
Product Description
Poetry of the Beat Era.
Product Description
Complete Hard Cover Set (All With Complete Dustjackets). Includes: Fool's Errand (2002) (ISBN# 0553801481) * Golden Fool (2003) (ISBN# 0553801511) * and Fool's Fate (2004) (ISBN# 0553801546).
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on December 1, 1998. The length of the article is 984 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: Banks' relationships with their customers, unlike in other businesses, rely solely on their customers' continued trust in them. As such, banks should be very careful when issuing a promise to their clients. A promise entails that a certain assertion would be realized in the future. Though banks may use promises to attract more clients, they would be setting themselves up for a lot of negative repercussions if they fail to make good on what they stated.
Citation Details
Title: Golden promises or fool's gold?(consequences of bank's issuing of promises)
Author: Kevin Sheridan
Publication:
Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 1998
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: 30
Issue: 12
Page: 17(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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GOLDEN FOOL
ROBIN HOBB
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8UBP2 |
Average customer rating:
- A piece of my heart
- A great jumping off point
- My new boyfriend
- Merely an OK Book
- Worth it, to get to Catspaw
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Psion (Cat)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Vinge, Joan
| ( V )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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Dreamfall (Cat)
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Catspaw (Cat)
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Tangled Up in Blue
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The Snow Queen
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The Summer Queen
ASIN: 076530340X
Release Date: 2007-03-06 |
Book Description
When first published, readers young and old eagerly devoured the tale of a street-hardened survivor named Cat, a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath. Named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Cats story has been continued by Hugo Awardwinning and international bestselling author Joan D. Vinge with the very popular Catspaw and Dreamfall. Now, twenty-five years later, this special anniversary edition of Psion contains a new introduction by the author and Psiren, a story never before included in any trade edition of Psion. This tough, gritty tale of an outsider whose only chance for redemption is as an undercover agent is as fresh and powerful today as it was in 1982.
Customer Reviews:
A piece of my heart.......2007-07-22
This book was thrown at me when I was young and had no friends. In spite of this, I read it, and the two to follow. Catspaw and Psion remain my favorite books of all time, and a series I return to whenever I need something good to read. Perhaps the feeling is very personal, but I would recomend Psion and Catspaw to anyone who has been so very alone.
A great jumping off point.......2006-03-23
I started this series by reading Catspaw and backtracking to Psion, which is often out of print, making it hard to find. Psion is a wonderful introduction to one of the most endearing characters in the genre. You love Cat and you want to throttle him at the same time for some of his impulsive decision making and even when he's at his most dispicable, you're rooting for him because you hope that the good guys come out on top in the end even when in real life that doesn't always happen. Cat and Joan D. Vinge have been inspriations in my life. I re-read the series once every couple of years to recapture the pure emotion Cat's story brings out.
My new boyfriend.......2005-07-16
This was my first introduction to Joan D. Vinge and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cat's young, smart, bitter, and incredibly resourceful. He's an orphan making ends meet in Oldcity, a slum beneath Quarro, where its denizens are without data bands and must live carefully. Cat's feline eyes mark him as being part Hydran, an alien race feared for its telepathic powers. He becomes a pawn in an effort to hunt down a criminal and must learn to control his telepathic powers.
Cat's a terrific character. One of my favorites, maybe. He's the perfect rebel and definitely boyfriend material. If you brought him home to meet your mom, she'd raise an eyebrow and be put off by his rough looks, but eventually won over by his dynamite intelligence and honesty.
Joan de Vinge is a solid writer, and as one reviewer commented, similar to early Anne McAffrey--though much better in the character development department. Some reviewers have commented that the book is fluffy. I won't deny it, it isn't a SERIOUS read. De Vinge isn't William Gibson or Neal Stephenson or Marge Piercy. But she's got a fully imagined world with really strong and empathetic characters who encounter real-world situations: racial discrimination, teen angst, and alienation. And I'm not just saying all this just because Cat is my boyfriend.
Merely an OK Book.......2004-08-01
"Psion" is merely an OK book. It's not bad, but it's certainly not good. The biggest problem is the overall shallowness, or even triteness, of everthing: theme, plot, and character development. The theme is essentially that humans are evil, especially if they have any kind of wealth or power. The plot's not that bad, though there are jumps where people do things that are just plain stupid. The worst part of the book is the character development. The characters DO develop. It's just that that development seems to be a step function (i.e., you don't see the character learn through experience: they just behave differently later in the book). Plus, I don't really like the main character as a person: he's essentially a victim and doesn't want to take any of the opportunities to improve himself that he's offered throughout the book. Even worse, though, is the villain. He nothing but a cardboard cutout. Not only does Vinge not develop his character thoughout the book, she's also given him no character in the first place. There's also a problem with several groups that ought to have been central to the book. Two that spring to mind are the aliens and the mine management on Cinder. Neither of these groups are given any kind of development. Vinge needs them to do certain things for the plot to proceed and so, Twin-Pines, they do them (some of the things she has the mine management do are absolutely not in their own best interest).
Since this book is really required if you want to read the second book in the series, "Catspaw," I still recommend you read it. Again, it's not a bad book. I wouldn't call it a light read, but at least it's not heavy.
Worth it, to get to Catspaw.......2004-01-27
Warning: This book is not as good as Snow Queen. It has a lot of the same lovely, anthropological attributes that Snow Queen shines with, but certain elements (ie the cardboard villain Quicksilver) are not quite as original.
I do highly recommend this book for two things, which are 1) Cat. He is a great character and this book is spoken in his own unique voice, and 2) 'Catspaw,' the sequel to this book, is full-on excellent, and you will enjoy it more if you read this book.
The other complaint I have is the cover art. I mean, who is that supposed to be? Cat is a teenager in this book, and that dude looks 40. The original cover art was uglier, but at least it looked like Cat. The cover art for 'Catspaw' was so much better -- did the fabulous Micheal Whelan do this one too, and if so, was he half-asleep?
Average customer rating:
- great book(s)
- Another intricate world from a favorite Sci Fi Author!
- Meet Cat....
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Alien blood: Psion, Catspaw
Joan D Vinge
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Vinge, Joan
| ( V )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B00071HVZO |
Customer Reviews:
great book(s).......2007-03-12
This is a great book from begging to end. The characters are very well developed. The main characters `Cat,' is a deeply flawed person and the author dose a great job of showing that. The story held me the entire time, even through normally be the dull story building parts. I love the interactions between the characters, I think that is the meat of this book. The climax left me wanting something more, but then the whole book is full of great picks with few valleys. The people and events keep the tension that runs through out the book high and I really don't miss the classics single climax that completely ends the story-dead. Since it is really two books in one it is a great deal. I highly recommend this rook
Another intricate world from a favorite Sci Fi Author!.......2005-05-13
Before I begin into this review I will tell you that I read Catspaw (The second in this trilogy) first. Wholly hooked by Joan Vinge's intricate world, I HAD to go back and read the first.
Psion is a really poignant introduction to poor Cat, young man for the life of him cannot catch a break.
He is a street urchin for most of his years, unable to even remember the mother he was born to. He is a thief, a shill, and many other things that keep him alive, sometimes with out being beaten in the underground of Quarro. He is a half breed, half human, and half Hydran (only called that because the were found in Hydrae Centari). Hydrans are Psions by birth, able to perform feats that seem magic to dead head humans. Only they don't see it as magical, they see it as threatening.
Add to that the hydrans are incapable of violence and it is easy to see why the Hydrans ended up at the losing end of the Human expansion across the universe. (If this sounds like a parallel to the early West, you are probably in the right).
Cat's half-hydran geneaolgy has made him an outcast even amongst the dregs of the universe, and he doesn't even know why.
After an arrest for one in a long line of offenses, Cat is brougth to the attention of an institute for Psion's human and otherwise. It is a break of a lifetime, even if Cat can't use the talent they insist he has.
Eventually they break through to him, and his talent, fractured when he witnessed his mother's death, his talent dying with her. He only survived because of his human heritage. He finds that he is a good Psion, the best there is at reading minds.
He and the others in the institute are approached by Quicksilver, a human Psion who is also a notorious criminal. Before Cat can join the team he is expelled from the project because of difficulties with the scientist running the program. That program was the one thing keeping him from servitude, and the contract laborers are quick to pick him up.
He is sent to Cinder to work in the mines until he works off his sentence, or more likely until he dies.
Quicksilver and the team is there as well, and the plot gets all the more twisted from there.
Catspaw:
After his adventures, Cat earns enough credits to put himself through the university, and all he wants is a normal life. If there is one thing I have learned about Cat's life is that what he wants is almost never what he gets!
He is recruited to protect the TaMings, Elnear TaMing, who is to be selected for a place on the senate, if she can live through the assasination attempts. Cat, his gift burned out by his act to save the status Quo, is given it back, if only temporarily, to ensure that Elnear stays safe.
This is quite a politically charged book set on Old Earth, where only the wealthiest families still live. Cat must find the assassin and foil a plot to ursurp the TaMings.
Really an excellent read! Give it a go, you won't regret it!
Meet Cat...........2003-10-15
This is actually a Trilogy with an extra story. Psion,Catspaw and Dreamfall. Alien Blood is Psion and Catspaw in one book. There is a short story in Phonix in the Ashes about Cat also.
That being said this is a fantastic trilogy that I would love to see continued.
Cat is a mixed breed psion that is thrust into a world he hates and doesn't want to understand. It is the story of the street tough tossed into the world of the rich-but that is only the baseline. Cat is an engaging character and the writing itself leaves you feeling like you are immersed in his world.
These are books that because of slightly mature themes I would recommend for anyone 13-100.
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Cat le Psion
Joan D Vinge , and
Michel Deutsch
Manufacturer: J'ai lu
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
All French Books
| French
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 2277231142 |
Average customer rating:
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How to Write Your Own Psion Series 3a Programs: The Complete Beginner's Guide (Psion Series 3a Books)
Mike Shaw
Manufacturer: Capall Bann Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
| APIs & Operating Environments
| Algorithms
| C
| Cross-platform Development
| Functional
| Game Programming
| General
| Graphics & Multimedia
| Introductory & Beginning
| Java
| Languages & Tools
| Mobile Phone Programming
| Network Programming
| Software Design, Testing & Engineering
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
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ASIN: 1898307474 |
Book Description
This books leads the novice through the complete process of writing programs and delves deeper into the structure and techniques of the Psion programming language for those with greater experience.
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Illustrated Guide to the Psion 3C Series
Mike Shaw
Manufacturer: Capall Bann Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
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| Books
General
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
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| Books
PCs
| Hardware
| Computers & Internet
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General
| Software
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ASIN: 1861630549 |
Book Description
A strong reference book for all users of the Series 3c, whether casual or serious, new or experienced. Includes clear "how to" steps and illustrations.
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The Psion 3a Illustrated
Mike Shaw
Manufacturer: Holmes Pub Grou Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
PCs
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| Computers & Internet
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General
| Computers & Internet
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General
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General
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ASIN: 1898307903 |
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PSION SERIES 3A
Unknown
Manufacturer: PSION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SIIS5S |
Product Description
25 single-sided full-color psion character sheets
Book Description
In this helpful (and much-needed) book, author Robb Redman-pastor, consultant, and educator-offers a unique insider's explanation of the ins and outs of Christian worship trends. The book explores the four major developments that comprise what he calls the "worship awakening": the seeker service movement, the "praise and worship" movement, the Christian worship music industry, and the liturgical renewal movement. Redman explains that these trends offer important examples and lessons for established churches. The Great Worship Awakening also includes helpful guidance for congregations who are considering making changes to their current worship style.
Books:
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down: Collected Stories
- I Was Amelia Earhart
- Ideal Boy, An: Charts from India
- In the City of Shy Hunters: A Novel
- Jack Maggs: A Novel
- Jerome and the Seraph
- Keepers of the Maser: Lost Village (Keepers of the Maser)
- Kit's Law: A Novel
- Last Call (Party Room)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
- Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes
- The Ordinary Seaman
- The Wandering Hill: A Novel
- The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little G
- Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics
- Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name
- VAT & Sales Taxes Worldwide: A Guide to Practice and Procedures in 61 Countries
- Turning Feedback Into Change: 31 Principles for Managing Personal Development Through Feedback
- Evaluation and Decision Models - A Critical Perspective
Summertime
Phosphorescence
Green Grass
Come and Tell Me Some Lies
Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew
