Zia Summer

Customer Reviews:

So-So.......2006-10-25

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book.

I read Anaya's "Bless Me Ultima" and enjoyed it. I figured "Zia Summer" would be no different.

But it was. The flow was a bit choppy. Anaya fluctuates from spending pages discussing Chicano/Hispanic culture to the actual murder mystery plot. It came across as forced to me.

"Bless Me Ultima" was literature. "Zia Summer" was pulp fiction trying to be literature. Sadly it didn't even succeed (for me) as a sordid-page-turner-can't-put-it-down-whodunnit. I had no problem setting this book down from time to time.

Overall enjoyable, but a letdown for Anaya readers used to his more intelligent writings.

I was disappointed........2006-08-06

First, the hero, Sonny Baca, is a bit of a dolt. I'm not sure if he was written that way on purpose or not and that is part of the problem.

Second, I figured out the answer to the "mystery" immediately after a certain character was introduced. It was that obvious.

Third, the villians are reputed to be totally evil yet their stated goals were worthy albeit the methods for obtaining them were violent and terrible. The author never addressed that contradiction.

Overall, there seemed to be a confusion of intent. That being said, the story had a lot in it that was diverting and interesting but I can't really recommend it.

Bring On More.......2002-07-30

This was a book that I could hardly put down. Sonny Baca is one of a kind. Bring on more like this, Mr. Anaya!

Taste of the Southwest.......2001-10-15

Sonny Baca is a private detective investigating a cult murder of his cousin Gloria. The story weaves together a fabric using the old Native American, the Hispanic, and the Anglo traditions that are so juxtaposed in Albuquerque, and most of the Southwest. Anaya keeps us involved and entertained well by the cast of characters from the beginning to the dramatic climax. He shows us the good and the bad aspects of these traditions. In the end the reader is left with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of the Southwest and a greater feeling for the traditions and beauty of both the fantasies and realities of these indigenous peoples. It helps to know a little Spanish to catch some of the brief phrases used, so a Spanish dictionary is helpful at times. However, the story never taxes the Anglo with Spanish since most of the words are either very common expressions or are explained in the text (except for the curses!). Hopefully, we can look forward to more about Sonny (and Rita) in the future.

Definitely worthwhile.......2001-06-27

The novel is admittedly uneven -- I suspect that hard-core mystery fans will become impatient with the see-it-coming-a-mile-away nature of some of the occurances -- but worth reading. Anaya's prose is frequently lovely and the characters resonate. In addition, it's a pleasure to read an author who presents the mystical/spiritual with respect. In my opinion, Anaya wasn't preachy, but he clearly agrees with Jung's assertion that the religious impulse in human beings is as ineradicable as the sex drive.

Average customer rating:

Zia Summer
Rudolfo Anaya
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IO0HKG

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Zia Summer
Rudolfo Anaya
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UZZ6H2

Zia Summer.(Brief Article): An article from: World Literature Today

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Zia Summer.(Brief Article): An article from: World Literature Today
Pilar Bellver Saez
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on March 22, 1996. The length of the article is 532 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.

Citation Details
Title: Zia Summer.(Brief Article)
Author: Pilar Bellver Saez
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1996
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: v70 Issue: n2 Page: p403(1)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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RUDOLFO ANAYA
Zia Summer
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LBV1GU

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Zia Summer
Rudolfo ANAYA
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPKQTG

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Zia Summer
Rudolfo Anaya
Manufacturer: Warner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQLN66

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Zia Summer.
Rudolfo. ANYA
Manufacturer: NY: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000U2DD16

Amazon.com

Dragonlance's dynamic duo--the inimitable Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman--continues to do no wrong, reviving the once-ailing world of Krynn with yet another solid book, the second in their War of Souls series. Which is not to say, of course, that Krynn itself is doing well. Far from it: as you might remember from the trilogy's debut, Dragons of a Fallen Sun, creepy Joan-of-Arc-type Mina is spreading the influence of her One God even further over the previously godless land. To top that off, the cursed magical shield protecting the Silvanesti crumbled with the death of the great green Cyan Bloodbane (who had been masquerading as an elf), and the hated Beryl has made a move on the Citadel of Light and the lands of the Qualinesti. And just in case you didn't read Fallen Sun, Weis and Hickman take great pains to bring you up to speed in the first chapter.

What follows in Dragons of a Lost Star is the satisfying resolution to most of these threads, although--like it or not--that means a lot of interplay among the elves. But a literally earth-shattering finale with Beryl in Qualinost amply makes up for it, and that's just the appetizer for the main dish: the true identity of Mina's mysterious One God is revealed at last. Throw in some typical Tas antics for good measure (you've got to love that Device of Time Journeying), and you can count on being left antsy for this trilogy's concluding installment. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

A mysterious force holds Krynn in thrall. A young woman, protected by her regiment of dark-armored knights, calls upon the might of an unknown god to bring victory to her army as it sweeps across the land. The souls of the dead rob the living of their magic. A dragon overlord threatens the very land the elves hold most dear.

Amidst the chaos, a band of brave and selfless heroes struggles against an immortal power that appears to thwart them at every turn. The encroaching darkness threatens to engulf all hope, all faith, all light.

The War of Souls rages on.

The New York Times bestselling hardcover now in paperback.

This latest title from Dragonlance cocreators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dragons of a Fallen Sun. This paperback version contains a preview chapter from the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, Dragons of a Vanished Moon.

Customer Reviews:

...HE will return..........2007-02-16

...HE will return..., May 10, 2001
OH MY RAISTLIN!!!... I mean, OH MY GOD!!! (...sorry, I get those two confused sometimes...) I just came back from Borders and I am in shock! Why Laurana? Why have practically all of the original companions had to meet such tragic demises? Oh, and I don't want to get off on a rant here but now that "The One God" has been revealed, Raistlin will HAVE to come back and destroy this pathetic immortal; and NOT to "save the world" (I say that dripping with sarcasm) but to show that HE should be the one to rule Krynn. Keep those pompous dragons in line and show Mr. Dark Elf (Dalamar)how to REALLY bring magic back to Krynn. Well, I'm done ranting; I guess that I now have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to find out when the best character in all of Dragonlance's history will return in all his glory!!!... thank you.

Better than Harry Potter.......2006-03-18

Dragons of a Lost Star was, as the title says, better than Harry Potter. It's many twists and turns make you instantly want to read more.

I was a big fan of the "One God" and Mina during the beginning but the twist makes you want to scream at the book.

Gerard and Tas are both a little different. Tas was put in the story to make it funny but I didn't like him at all, he was so stupid in his decisions. Gerard was Gerard. Nothing much more I can say, he was a Knight for both sides.

The ending is so sudden it's hard to cope...

To the One God.......2005-11-24

To the One God, its in you we thank for giving us Margaret and Tracy or should we look for another?
Once again we explore another fine addition to the Dragonlance volumes. The War of Souls is a fascinating ride to the return of the old world.
You will be thrilled to know that there is enough Tas in book 2 to keep you laughing and as always making sure nothing of your own has gone missing =)
Mina has returned and is proclaming and conquering in the name of the One God. Who is this one God whom grants powers beyond imgaination. Who is the God that causes men to fear and follow this Mina? The One God is none other than...ah read em!

Great build up for for the third book of this trilogy........2005-08-02

Let me preface this by saying that I am a Dragonlance fanatic that owns every book. This trilogy has brought back the return of the gods of Krynn, which is a terrific decision by Weis and Hickman, and one that was somewhat overdue.
It is also, in my opinion, the best set of books since the Raistlin chronicles. Every book built towards the ending superbly, and I would recomend this trilogy as one of the best in the series.
The storyline gained momentum throughout and seldom had lulls of needless filler. It is also good to see the exchange from the heroes of the lance to the next characters that come to the forefront in the war of souls.I love the lance heroes but think that every avenue had been explored to further thier story, but that being said I would never wish that they be written out of future novels.
I became engrossed in the story and finished this book very quickly. I cannot wait to read the third book to see how the story plays out.

Lost unless youve read the trilogy before this one.......2005-04-10

It is a good rounded book that "tries" to keep you guessing. Most people said they couldnt figure who "The One God" is but it tells you at the end, i figured out way before then, but i guess that i picked up on all the signs. Its a good sequal to the one before this because it carries on where the first one left off (Dragons of the fallen sun I beleive it was called).

The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)

Average customer rating:

Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so...
Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels
Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying
A Dragon Story and Much More
Great Addition

The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786930020
Release Date: 2003-09-01

Book Description

This slip-covered gift set contains the three New York Times best-selling titles that make up the epic War of Souls trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, and Dragons of a Vanished Moon. Authored by Dragonlance saga co-creators Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, these titles each hit multiple best-seller lists upon initial release.

Customer Reviews:

Well, I am a fan of Weiss & Hickmann so..........2007-07-08

Great books. I have to admit that vol. 2 was a bit slow and dull at first but vol. 1 and 3 and most of vol. 2 made up for this. Didn't much care for the lovestory between Silvanoshei and the dark knight Mina so all this about Silanosheis love that wasn't returned is a bit dull for me (yes yes, I am a guy). But all in all I would rate this as a 5 star product. Another great story from Weiss & Hickmann.

Not as good as Weis and Hickman's previous novels.......2007-06-05

First let me start off by saying that I did enjoy these books. But I enjoyed the previous books more. The Chronicles Trilogy was the first set in the Dragonlance world and I must say the best. It all sort of went downhill from there, albeit a long hill with a small angle but still downhill. I really thought that with The Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame that led up to The War of Souls Trilogy, that there would be a "rebirth" (if you will) of the Dragonlance Series. But sadly that wasn't to be. An IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: I have been led to believe that the writers, Weis and Hickman, actually have very little creative control over the Dragonlance Series. I believe that these books are meant to be companions to the world of D & D. I enjoy reading not throwing dice to see how much damage I do. As such, maybe they threw dice to see how the storyline would unfold. I don't know.

The Good:
The story is great. The action is great. Tas the loveable and unlikely hero is back. There is a lot of action and intrigue to keep you interested. The whole trilogy is one big twist after another.

The Bad:
I'm afraid there may be more bad than good...but only just. The number one problem, and it is SERIOUSLY BAD, is the typos. Did anyone actually proofread this book? I mean seriously it is bad. By the middle of Dragons of a Lost Star (second book in the trilogy), I was almost ready to call it quits just because it was so hard to make any sense of it. Misspelled words...bad punctuation...missing words...extra words. Just really, really, really bad. They need to fire whoever edited this book.

Now about the problems with the stories themselves. POTENTIAL SPOILER

My best advise to the readers about these books and this goes for pretty much ALL of the Dragonlance novels: Don't get attached to ANY character because they ALL die. The writers spend 3 books building a character and getting them developed then kill them. Why would you do that? Take a lesson from R.A. Salvatore or Terry Goodkind and keep your main characters ALIVE. It's what keeps readers coming back for more. If Salvatore had killed Drizzt after his first trilogy, Salvatore's career as a writer would have been a lot less eventful. Same goes for Goodkind's Richard in the Sword of Truth books.
Let's see who has died along the way to The War of Souls. Keep in mind these are MAJOR CHARACTERS!
Sturm Brightblade, Tanis Half-Elven, Caramon Majere, Raistin Majere, Tika Majere, Alhana Starbreeze, Crysania, Goldmoon, Laurana, Palin Majere, Riverwind, Steel Brightblade, Tanin Majere, Kitiara Uth Matar (who needed more development), Berem the Everman (death was justified), Flint Fireforge, Tas Burfoot (dead but brought back) and I'm sure there were others but I think you get the picture. And again these were major characters. Why even bother developing them if they are so expendable? Heck, I wouldn't even bother being creative with the names. Maybe I can write a Dragonlance novel. "Here is Sam. Sam is an elf. Sam has to overcome insurmountable odds to save the world. Sam overcame the insurmountable odds and saved the world. Now Sam is dead." There, I just wrote a whole Dragonlance novel in five sentences.
What was the point of "The Second Generation" and "Dragons of Summer Flame"? They introduce new characters and then killed them all. Stupid.

Summary of my review:
These books have a great story, great plot, and great characters who will all die. Or if that sentence had as many typos as these books...Thes books have great story great plot and grate charactrse woh will all dye.

Engrossing but ultimately unsatisfying.......2007-05-13

I have been a long-time fan of Weis and Hickman and their Dragonlance books. They have an uncanny ability to write engrossing stories full of conflict and angst and failure that somehow still come together at the end on a note of acceptance and hope. In general, the characters end the stories as better people than they started them as, and the price the characters pay is redeemed by what they gain by the end. I looked forward to this new series. The story is certainly engrossing -- I found it hard to put the books down, even during the darkest and bleakest points in the story. But unlike their earlier works, Weis and Hickman don't manage to wrap this one up well. Several story lines end abruptly, as if Weis and Hickman just ran out of steam on them and gave up. More important, almost none of the characters end the story having learned anything important. The sacrifices made by the characters remain unredeemed at the end. I was left disappointed and unsatisfied. Go ahead and read the story -- it is well written. Just be prepared to feel incomplete at the end.

A Dragon Story and Much More.......2007-05-08

What makes this series so fascinating are the set of characters, especially the kender, who adds just the right amount of comic relief, and the freshness that comes from a vivid imagination on the part of the authors. You won't feel like you've read anything like this before.

Great Addition.......2007-03-27

I've been working on the first book of the three and so far I'm enjoying it as much as all the other Dragonlance Novels I've read. If you love the Dragonlance novels, you won't be upset with this pick.

Star Cairns (First in the Lost Tombo Series)

Average customer rating:

D & D as it used to be, Great for novice DM's
Toadkiller Dawg says: Not bad, but could be better
Star Cairns: Best AD&D module in a Loooooong time
Adventure that brings back the old days of AD&D!
Excellent Module- A Must for Any Greyhawker!

Star Cairns (First in the Lost Tombo Series)
Sean K. Reynolds
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

D & D as it used to be, Great for novice DM's.......2000-01-12

After trying out Sea of Blood as a new DM (played for years as a character) and deeply disliking the way the story went, this is wonderful. It gives the novice DM all the info. necessary to run a dungeon the players like (isn't that what it's all about?) as well as having fun yourself and learning how to be a better DM. Very enjoyable story. Exploring all 5 Cairns was fun.

Toadkiller Dawg says: Not bad, but could be better.......1999-02-24

The module details four of the five Star Cairns, which is somewhat disappointing since this seemed like a missed opportunity to present the lost fifth Star Cairn. Instead, the four known Star Cairns with their current inhabitants are listed while the fifth is apparently still missing.

While the inhabitants vary widely, the floor plans for the four Cairns are essentially identical and this appears likely to take some of the fun out of exploring a new Cairn, players will already know where the chambers, stairs and halls lead after seeing any one of the Cairns. There are some common magical features and creatures as well, players and DMs alike will probably find themselves saying things like "Hm, the kitchen should be that way and that's where we will find the mephits...", there could have been more variety between the Cairns. This can be a major drawback if you don't run a WoG campaign or wanted to run the Cairns as four separate dungeons, the DM is restricted to a unifying theme and it is all but impossible to pass the Cairns off as unrelated dungeon crawls, something for which they are probably best suited.

Plotting and story lines are quite thin and the Cairns apparently operate wholly independently of one another with only a few general suggestions for the DM in how these NPCs might be incorporated into the campaign as a whole. This again is a missed opportunity since three of the four Cairns have inhabitants that could be developed into major NPCs or centers of power and it seems unlikely that such potentially powerful groups could dwell within a few miles of each other with practically no interaction or interest in the others. The golem Cairn was rather neat, but is probably a one-time dungeon crawl while the necromancer Cairn was fairly unimpressive as it doesn't seem very workable as written. The doppleganger and beholder Cairns were among the best of the lot, but too many details were left unanswered about these creatures and their often far-ranging activities.

Though the Cairns were supposedly built by powerful wizards, the use of permanent magical effects was a bit overdone and there is the definite feeling that a group that explored all four Cairns in succession would rapidly grow bored with the identical layouts and features. While the history of the Star Cairns was rather interesting, the background material is a bit sloppy and some of the information directly conflicts with previously published Greyhawk material, for example an ancient wizard is referred to as serving the Malachite Throne some two centuries before the throne was created and the small-scale map changes the location of some previously established places of renown. I really wanted to like this product, but nagging problems like these were just a little too frequent to recommend the product as anything more than mediocre.

Star Cairns: Best AD&D module in a Loooooong time.......1998-10-10

The latest from TSR/WOTC is The Star Cairns first in a series of modules designed for TSR's reborn World of Greyhawk called The Lost Tombs Series.

Adventurers are tapped to discover the secret of a newly rediscovered series of crypts. But all is not as it seems.

This module is perfect for beginning DMs as well as grizzled veteran DMs. The beauty lies in the perfect mix of detail and vaguery. The module is detailed enough for new DMs to base a beginning campaign on and broad enough to be woven into an established campaign: the hallmark of GreyHawk itself.

All in all Star Cairns is a quality product and Sean Reynolds is a rising star to be watched.

Adventure that brings back the old days of AD&D!.......1998-10-09

If you liked the older style of modules with no fluff and all the right stuff you will love this module. The plot is thin so as to allow the DM to create his own reasons for the party going there. No need for drag'em by the noise modules here!

The module explores the 5 Cairns South West of the city of Greyhawk. A regional map is included. Links are also included to direct the party towards the next module in this series.

Each Cairn has a special occupant and mystical power with it's own unique abilities.

First time DMs should find this a good module and veterans should find that it keeps the DM prep' to a minimum.

Excellent Module- A Must for Any Greyhawker!.......1998-10-09

Sean Reynolds has captured the spirit of Greyhawk in this module. Tackling the first in any series has got to be tough, but he has managed and done so in an excellent adventure. From the outset, you are able to delve into the World of Greyhawk and into one of its oldest mysteries. In the style of some of the earliest modules that made Greyhawk unique, Sean has managed to capture and add to this oldest of the AD&D worlds.

The War of Souls Trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star & Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)

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The War of Souls Trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star & Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JKPBXC

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Dragons of a Lost Star
Margaret; Hickman, Tracy Weis
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NPSO14

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That planet is not where you think it might be

A Good Ol' Civil War!

Tedious

Calm down, it's just a book...

Juvenile, badly flawed, but still fun

War of the Daleks (Dr. Who Series)
John Peel
Manufacturer: BBC Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Legacy of the Daleks (Doctor Who Series)

Kursaal (Dr. Who Series)

Option Lock (Dr. Who Series)

Alien Bodies (Dr. Who Series)

The Bodysnatchers (Dr. Who Series)

ASIN: 0563405732

Customer Reviews:

That planet is not where you think it might be.......2007-09-23

I didn't read or buy this book when it came out, so I've been quite removed from the backlash it's received in the years since. I was aware of why it had its terrible reputation but really didn't know much more about it than that. So now having read the book I can say it's . . . okay. What Peel has written here is a perfectly competent action story that moves along quickly enough to do what it has to do, with the requisite amount of twists and turns but at the end of the day it just isn't that exciting. The story commences when the Doctor and Sam are sucked onto a garbage scow in space that is then taken over by a bunch of Thals. The reason? The scow recently snagged a pod that happens to contain our old friend Davros, who the Thals are looking for to help them win the war against the Daleks. Then the Daleks show up and things get messy. Peel tells the story professionally enough but none of this here is very deep, characterization is a bit on the shallow side with nobody having any nuances at all, his prose is at best workmanlike and everyone shoots and shouts and plots until we reach the end. At no point did I really feel my pulse quicken. Part of the problem was the Daleks, and I think this book at least partially illustrates why they hadn't taken a main role in the novels until this particular book: they just aren't scary. Maybe because so much of what they do depends on sight and sound, Peel simply can't convey it onto the page. Their unsettling faceless appearance, the grating electronics of their voices, their sheer presence. If not for the fact that you're told that Daleks are hanging around, it could be anyone. Granted, they do act in a clever fashion but the menace just isn't there. Instead we get the full round of Dalek action figures, with Spider Daleks and and Strider Daleks and Underwater Daleks and Judo-Chop Daleks (I made the last one up), which at least takes advantage of the lack of budget, but it's just not the same. Also, the book really doesn't take advantage of the Thals' original plan with Davros, which was to have him convert them into Daleks (that's what I got out of it) which would have been a more interesting tact for the novel to take. Instead we go back to Skaro but . . . wait, wasn't that destroyed? Ah, yes. In the part of the novel that ticks everyone off, the Daleks reveal a hideously complicated plan to trick Davros into thinking that he wasn't where he thought he was, which has to be read to be believed. It's interesting to see Peel pull all the threads together and make up his own theory but at the same time it begs the question: why? It's like he really didn't like the ending to "Remembrance of the Daleks" and said, "Well, I'll show them." Almost ten years from the retcon it doesn't bother me except to show how unnecessary it was, and I think later writers undid it anyway (and with the show back on TV now, it's irrelevant). Meanwhile, the Doctor gets to brood, Sam gets to be jealous that everyone thinks he's pretty (her schoolgirl crush on him at least shows that what they did with Rose didn't come totally out of left field) and in the end it's just sort of mediocre. Even Davros serves only to rant like a madman in every scene about how he's going to take over the galaxy. By the time it devolves into all out action and the Daleks unleash like six contingency plans in a row (seriously?) while fighting each other, it's like the cast of the show crashed into a Michael Bay movie, with about the same amount of emotional depth. Not terrible, not great, just sort of there, if you enjoy traditional Doctor Who, with all the good and bad that goes with that description, this will be pretty much what you expect it to be.

A Good Ol' Civil War!.......2006-07-17

The story that most Dalek fans have been waiting for. Unfortunately, the author seems to have gotten confused as to who exactly he was writing about. Peel's portrayal of the Dalek Prime and it's motives, just seemed too human for a Dalek.
The portrayal of the Doctor was fine, albeit rather generic. The quirkiness that Paul McGann enthused his portrayal of the Doctor was gone from this literary rendition and left the entire feast of the story somewhat unpalatable.

Tedious.......2006-02-28

The book starts off okay. Peel is good at action scenes like the Thals battle with the Daleks, and the characters in the tramp freighter are decently realized. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. This is a generic Doctor with a generic companion. The only way you can tell this is the 8th Doctor is from the physical description, else there's nothing really to distinguish him. As for the Doctor's companion Sam, well, that isn't all Peel's fault-- Sam is a terribly generic companion that even in the hands of really talented writers like Kate Orman and Lawrence Miles (though they succeeded far better in "Seeing I" and "Alien Bodies" respectively).

Sam spends most of the time pining for the Doctor or being jealous, the Doctor comes off as not too bright most of the times (and that, my friends, is sad and bad characterization), and the rest of the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes that we've all seen before in bad TV and books. The Daleks are not scary, and each subsequent appearance of Davros, the Dalek creator, has only diminished the character further. It took me forever to finish this book, which is never a good sign. A kid might enjoy this book, but as an adult I found it a real bore.

Calm down, it's just a book..........2005-09-16

People need to calm down. This is just a book. It will be okay. John Peel did his best to sort out a VERY confusing history spanning 35 years and dozens of writers. Some things were well done, others I would have done things diffrently. That's OKAY. If you have a better idea, write a Who novel yourself. This was a book that read quickly, and had fairly unique charecters. Again, I have read better, but it was very enjoyable Who. Everyone tends to agree that the interludes were well done. I would like to have seen more of them as I found them splendid. Again, a almost great Who novel by an author who always does his homework. BRAVO!

Juvenile, badly flawed, but still fun.......2003-09-22

I have seriously mixed feelings about "War of the Daleks". Despite it being clunky, juvenile and containing the most pointless continuity rewrite in the history of science fiction, it's still the only BBC Doctor Who novel (with the exception of "The Infinity Doctors") that I've read more than once. It's a guilty pleasure, like Godzilla movies. Reading it, you know that it's dumb, but you just can't stop. At least, I can't.

Throughout the novel, John Peel does a great job of showing us how good it could have been, as he breaks up the main plot with small vignettes from the greater galaxy as it grapples with the Dalek threat. These are gripping stuff indeed, epic adventure against an implacable and ruthless foe. The books opening scene, a vast battle between the Daleks and Thal special forces, is equally gripping and for some reason reminds me of many of the scenes in Heinlein's "Starship Troopers". If the book had continued along those lines, it would have been superb; miltary SF in the Doctor Who universe is something we haven't seen before, and Peel infuses the battle scenes with great tension and drama, whether they be between the Daleks and lone secuirty agents, custodial robots or Draconian starships. He proves that he certainly has the ability to write this kind of stuff well, which is why the direction he takes with the rest of the novel is so irritating.

In between the battle scenes, Peel manages to create some very interesting characters and then give them very little to do. The Doctor, supposedly the hero of the story, literally does nothing to affect the plot at all throughout the entire book. Yes,he gets to solve problems, but it is plain that those problems are largely of no consequence and that most of the events of the novel would have occurred exactly the same way where he present or not. Given that Peel's characterisation of the Doctor is extremely generic, I'm convinced the book would have been far better had it been written as a standalone book without the Doctor in it at all.

The biggest problem with the book occurs when the plot moves to Skaro, the Dalek homeworld. Since the Doctor blew it up in the last Dalek TV appearence, the fact that it still exists drives what is left of the plot. It's at this point that pretty much all the characters switch their brains off and Peel reveals the real reason the book was written in the first place; to undo the destruction of Skaro as seen in "Rememberance of the Daleks". Apparently the creator of the Daleks, Terry Nation, objected to the destruction of the Daleks homeworld, despite okaying it for broadcast (he had script approval and the ability to veto anything he didn't like), and Peel took it upon himself to "undo" that event. To do so, he concocts the most bizarre, convoluted, risky and ultimately pointless conspiracy I've ever come across, rewrites over a decade of Doctor Who history and makes both the Doctor and Davros (the mad scientist who engineered the Daleks) look like complete idiots. When the book was first published, the sound of Dalek fans all over the world going "huh?" was almost deafening. After waiting years for a new Dalek adventure, to be presented with something so mediocre that showed the skeleton of the classic it could have been was almost too much to take.

And yet I keep re-reading it, almost as if I keep hoping that since the last time it'll have metamorphosed into the book it should have been. It's the literary equivalent of a dumb popcorn movie, complete with spectacular set pieces, implausible plot and dodgy acting. If I can keep my brain stunned into silence for the duration, I enjoy it. It's only when I start asking questions that I realise how bad this thing is. Still, if you - like me - love the Daleks and have been starved of new adventures for years, you could do worse than pick this up. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

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Dalek War (Dalek Empire)
Nicholas Briggs
Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1844350207

Book Description

Inspiration for Girls on the Threshold of Change

"Before I go to sleep each night
Before I turn off every light
Let me put away my fears
Let me brush away the tears"

The heartfelt prayers in this luminous volume were originally written for the comfort and inspiration of a twelve-year-old girl named Julia. The author of these prayers is Julia's mother, who wrote them because she was troubled that she and her daughter no longer talked as much as they used to. So each night, she left a verse on Julia's pillow. Julia shared them with her younger sister and with her friends, and the prayers moved outward in ever-widening circles.

Now everyone can enjoy and meditate upon these simple supplications, whose words, feelings, and perspective are those of a girl growing into womanhood. Nearly one hundred and fifty prayers encourage girls to look inward for the strength to heal hurts, calm fears, and reconcile with family and friends. They present the values of self-reliance and confidence, celebrating the gift of life and the unique pleasure and challenges of being a girl. Each prayer is a loving act of faith, and together they provide a safe and private space in which a girl can simply be and grow.

Customer Reviews:

Spiritual Lift.......2004-12-31

My mom gave me this book a couple of years ago, and I just stuck it in my closet. Recently I was cleaning out my room and uncovered this book. I started reading the prayers inside. I looked for prayers that connected to my everyday life and that I could relate to. I typed up my favorite prayers on my computer, printed it out, and put it by my bed. Every night I read the prayers. One night, I was feeling lonely. I was reading through the prayers and I came across one that went like this:

I need someone to comfort me
To tell me it's okay
To stroke my hair
And kiss my cheek
To hold me tight when I feel weak
To make hurt go away.

I need someone to care for me
Someone who's always there
To take my hand
And wipe my tears
To stand on guard against my fears
To help when life's unfair.

I trust in God's great[...]love [...] for me
When I am all alone
To hear my cry
And fill my heart
With faith that I can do my part
And manage on my own.

I read it over and over, sobbing the whole time. About the fifteenth time, I was reading it and I just stopped. Something happened and I stopped crying. I just read it over again, this time without crying, and laid down in my bed. I felt so much better. I don't know what happened, but something about the prayers made me feel better.

These prayers have changed the way I feel spiritually. They have also given me a greater belief in God. This book provided me with the words I needed to get by. I highly reccommend trying it.

A great gift for the young lady in your life!.......2002-06-27

Celia Straus wrote this snappy little book for her daughters, and it shows a mother's love. Each page contains a small "prayer" written for a teenage girl, all of them dealing with courage and becoming (at least that's how a father sees it :-). All of them are written in enchanting verse, though not all of them are necessarily directed towards God. For example, on page 103, there is "I am not helpless/I am not weak/I will not shatter/I will not weep/I stand alone/Yet I stand strong/I can be me/Without being wrong."

Overall, I found this to be a wonderful little book, a great gift for the young lady in your life!

A Real Source of Comfort and Encouragement for Girls.......2001-05-17

I purchased this book for 12 and 10 year old daughters. I thought that perhaps we could read a prayer each night as a devotion and that it would give us an opportunity to talk about issues in their lives. It has done that and more. My oldest daughter now refers to it frequently, whenever she needs a lift or a little extra encouragement. I also purchased the sequel and I rate it equally well. I have given this book as gifts to my daughter's friends for their 13th birthday, and they have all loved it.

Simplistic in style but a delite to read.......2000-07-08

When I first saw this book, I passed it by since I am the mom of two boys. The next time I saw it, I was looking for a gift for a friend with three teenage daughters.(Her copy is well worn and she's buying extra's to give as gifts) Thumbing thru it, I returned to buy a copy for myself. "Dreams on Your Pillow" is inspirirational for any parent of teens and can be applied to boys,also, as they take the journey to manhood.

This is a book of poetry for your daughter's inner self........2000-06-20

I just bought this book for my daughter as a graduation present and she and I have both already read all the poems in it. Now it stays on her pillow! I don't know why these simple poems connect so instantly to the soul, but they seem to touch a cord inside. My daughter, who is 12, has thanked me more for this book than anything I have given her in years. For any girl who is going through an identity crisis, this book is a great help.

Prayers on My Pillow: Inspiration for Girls on the Threshold of Change

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Prayers on My Pillow: Inspiration for Girls on the Threshold of Change
Celia Straus
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWDDJE

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