Book Description
One woman's unforgettable quest for freedom, love, and god.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful!.......2007-05-19
Loved this book and could have cried at the end.. I think I actually did. I got lost in this book, forgetting about time & space!
No time to waste..........2006-03-19
So I'll make this brief. You want to read a thing because of its subject. But reading bad writing is painful. Why would one subject oneself to pain when there is so much beauty to be had in good writing? Like any even half demanding reader, I closed the book and gave it away.
Eew!.......2004-09-08
I have been a big historical fiction fan for a long time but this book almost turned me away from it. I only gave it two stars because I did enjoy the historical aspect. I learned a lotabout the Cathars and their long-forgotten customs but this book was just too bad for anything more. The ending was some weird "is she or isn't she" torture/death scene that just threw me way out of the loop. There are many better examples of great historical fiction but this book was just weird.
Inspiring.......2004-08-15
Jeanne was raised by a Cathar holy woman. The man Jeanne loved married her best friend, and eventually, the three of them faced death by burning after the siege of the Cathar enclave at Montsegur. A bitter reprieve, however, sent Jeanne out of harm's way and on a mission to save precious remnants of her Cathar religion. She cannot forgive herself for failing in that mission and for not mounting the pyre with the two people she loved most.
Thirteenth-century France is a perilous place for Christians whose doctrine differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church, but poverty confers the protective mantle of invisibility. Once lady of her own manor, Jeanne is now just another beggar, a hag dependent upon the charity of her betters. When her latest benefactor recognizes her for a Cathar -- hence a heretic -- Jeanne must flee for her life.
With the Inquisition bearing down upon her, Jeanne stumbles upon an unlikely deliverer who diverts the inquisitors from her trail and then takes her in. She finds unexpected love with this strong and simple man.
But Jeanne's past continues to haunt her. Her happy interlude ends, and she must face her darkest fears. At the lowest point in her life, she discovers the true treasure of Montsegur and finds in herself the grace and courage of perfect faith.
Ms. Burnham recreates her setting with integrity. Though her story is more about religious wars in general than medieval France, she paints historical detail over her narrative with spare but sure strokes. The Treasure of Montsegur is worthwhile for its illumination of the Cathars' plight and for the extraordinary character of Jeanne.
Enjoyed this very much.......2004-07-31
I enjoyed this book very much - a good flavor of the times. Not as sweeping and detailed historical coverage as I would like in historical fiction. I read it after "a perfect heresy" which helped clarify the background to the story.
Average customer rating:
- Wrath of Ashar
- Average at best
- Great First Book
- Something new, yet familiar.
- Classical fantasy!
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Wrath of Ashar: The First Book of The Kingdoms (The Book of the Kingdoms, Book 1)
Angus Wells
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Way Beneath: Kingdoms, Book 3
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The Usurper: The Second Book of The Kingdoms
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Dark Magic (The Godwars, Book 2)
ASIN: 0553283715
Release Date: 1990-02-01 |
Book Description
In the north, a fire rages through the world-spanning forest of Beltrevan. Out of the flames is born terrifying being with monstrous powers--Taws, messenger of the fire-god Ashar. The ancient prophecies say he will raise a great Horde from the warlike tribes of the north to bring destruction to the peaceful Kingdoms of Tamur, Ust-Galich, and Kesh. In the south, a young prophetess of the order of the lady forsakes her vows of celibacy to bear a child, for the Book of Kyrie says that a champion will arise from Tamur to meet the challenge of the Usurper. The boy is named Kedyrn. And as he nears manhood it seems that he may indeed be the child of prophecy, for he wields powers that none outside the Sisterhood have ever claimed. He may be the last, desperate hope for the survival of the Kingdoms--but the Usurper has learned of Kedryrn as well, and his armies are on the march . . . .
Customer Reviews:
Wrath of Ashar.......2007-01-23
A very creative story and trilogy to boot. I look forward to the next two books.
Average at best.......2005-10-17
I came across this book while searching for other some other fantasy genre books. I figured I would give it a chance as the back of the book sounded interesting. To start with, this book is really nothing different than what is already out there. The basic premise is a messenger of an evil god has come to the north and united the barbarian tribes to attack the kingdoms. One person, a 14 year old prince is the `chosen' one and he is the only one that can kill the messenger. The plot is rather cliché and straightforward.
As I said above the plot is riddled with cliché after cliché and so straightforward there is almost very little deviation from that straight-lined plot. This is not to say the story isn't a little interesting, but in a book that relies heavily on clichés I would have liked to see more twists and sub-plots within this book. I would be willing to bet that fans who have read a lot of fantasy books can read the back of the book and with a good amount of accuracy predict what will happen in this book.
The characters are nothing special either. The author tries at a minor character plot twist towards the end of the book but it is so melodramatic that it just doesn't matter; it has no effect of the feeling of the book at all. In my opinion there are only two interesting characters in this book. The main hero, Kedryn is a decent character - that of the 14 year old chosen one. The other interesting character is Tepshen Lahl who is basically a weapon master from another realm for the prince and his family, sort of like a glorified bodyguard if you will. Yet, even with how interesting he is, he is often overlooked in scenes and big segments of the book. It was almost like the author said "Oh, he's here he better make an appearance." I think this character was wasted in this book.
Another problem with this book is two-fold. The author does a rather poor job at describing the setting that the characters find themselves in, then suddenly he switched paradigms and has a very good description of something. He does not stay consistent with his process. Lastly, this book suffers at times with the show me don't tell me syndrome. At times the author tries to convey his point by telling the reader what is going on instead of allowing the reader to `see' the scene.
In all my reviews I try to either recommend or not recommend others to read this book. This is hard for me to do with this book. While there are certainly things with this book that detract from it being a good book, I can also see where others may enjoy it. In the end I think this is a personal decision. If you are looking for a book that will kill some time and not force you to exert yourself in the least while you are reading it, this may be the book for you. If however, you like fantasy books with a few plot twists and more depth (both in characters and plot) this book may not be for you. At best this is a fair attempt at a fantasy book. I am still unsure if I will continue on with this series or not.
Great First Book.......2005-09-08
To be honest, I picked this book up on a whim based on an interesting and beautifully done cover and a back cover description that caught my interest. I originally started reading it, only to put it down for a while. I almost didn't come back to it, but I am glad that I did. This is a really great story, and along with The Usurper and The Way Beneath tell one fantastic fantasy story. Nothing tremendously new, but a well crafted tale that will grab you if you give it a chance. I have since picked up everything Mr. Wells has published.
Something new, yet familiar........2000-07-07
Everyone has had one at one point in their reading life. A dry spell. A point in which you have read everything by your favorite authors and none of them seems pressured to publish anything new.
That's what was happening when I found this book. I hate having to try out new authors, but desperate to quench my thirst I starting reading Angus Wells series. After a while I found myself wondering what was going to happen in the next chapter and actually skipping a few chapters ahead to see what happened with particular characters. This book and it's series is new but it gives off a familiar feel. The author has created strong likable characters and an interesting plot.
Classical fantasy!.......1999-10-04
Highly recommended to everyone who longs for the good old days of fantasy writing! Great plot, great writing, and a smooth read throughout the book.
Unlike much of the writing just mass produced these days, Angus Wells actually has spent time to sit down and create a true diamond in the rough that shines!
Book Description
Here are strange, beautiful stories covering the full spectrum of the late Roger Zelazny's remarkable talents. He had a rare ability to mix the dream-like, disturbing imagery of fantasy with the real-life hardware of science fiction. His vivid imagination and fine prose made him one of the most highly acclaimed writers in his field. Three times he won the Nebula Award, and six times the Hugo Award, for excellence in novels and short fiction. Roger Zelazny possessed a unique, dazzling talent; his visions of the future, of other worlds and of other realities are, by turns, enchanting and disturbing, and always memorable.
Customer Reviews:
Ideas Galore.......2007-09-23
The story that stays with me is "Love Is An Imaginary Number." It is only 5 or 6 pages long, but it spawned at least a dozen novels!
The germ of the idea for the whole "Amber" series is here, that of the person who suddenly comes to realize his true abilities and "shifts" at will, shaping reality as he goes. The ending encapsulates "Lord Of Light" about the man who wants to give technology to the masses -- Prometheus.
"Lord of Light" has been one of my top-ten SF novels forever. ("Many kilowatts of prayer had he offered, but static kept him from being heard on high.") Yet I never saw Sam as Prometheus until now, probably because the setting is so un-Greek.
I can see it, a 600-level humanities course. "Your assignment this weekend is to read 'Nine Princes in Amber' and 'Lord of Light.'" Then on Monday, give them a 3-page handout of "Love Is An Imaginary Number" and have them compose an essay tracing the similarities and differences.
Exquisitely crafted tales of fantastic alternate realities.......2005-07-24
"The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth," by Roger Zelazny, is a collection of 17 science fiction tales that range in length from two to 88 pages. Altogether the collection is over 500 pages long. Some of the most striking selections in the book are as follows.
"The Keys to December": A group of bioengineered intelligent beings seek to re-shape a planet in order to suit their unique needs, but the massive project has some unintended--and ethically challenging--consequences. "Devil Car": In a future where cars have artificial intelligence, a human and his heavily armored vehicle embark on a mission to hunt down a killer rogue car. "This Moment of the Storm" takes place in a human colony on the planet Tierra del Cygnus, a world of monstrous beasts and dangerous weather. This story's main character is almost 600 years old, but has spent most of his life "sleeping" during long interstellar space voyages. In the quirky "A Museum Piece," an unappreciated artist decides to live in a museum, posing as a statue--thus becoming a living work of art. "Divine Madness" is a stunning tale about a man suffering from a condition in which time seems to be moving backwards. And the book's title story tells of a quest to catch a gigantic sea monster on the planet Venus.
Zelazny has crafted some remarkable gems in this collection. These stories, while clearly in the great tradition of science fiction, often have the flavors of myth, fantasy, and folklore. Zelazny's prose is truly a sumptuous banquet; his style is extremely literate and learned, with a crisp, clean elegance. He weaves many cultural references into his writing; along the way he cites Dante, "Aida," Dylan Thomas, Miniver Cheevy, the Iliad, Poe, Havelock Ellis, Vishnu, Rimbaud, and more. Such references strike me as an integral and intriguing part of Zelazny's style.
Zelazny succeeds in marrying strong science fiction concepts and settings to some really "down-to-earth" emotions and situations. He creates well drawn characters, and is skilled at fashioning alternate worlds and cultures. The stories touch on many powerful and resonant themes: love, loss, religion, crime, the passage of time, man's relationship to technology, the desire for a home, etc. Lovers of serious literary science fiction should not miss this fine collection by a truly gifted prose stylist.
Early Zelazny at his best.......2003-02-08
From his career's inception, Zelazny had a distinctive style: fast, poetic, allusive and dense sometimes to the point of being a trifle obscure. Characterization was one of his strengths. He also had a deft way with mythological reference: he wove it into his stories, either symbolically (e.g., in "He Who Shapes") or by science fictional means, as in his novel _This Immortal_. Early and late, the story rather than the novel seems to have been his true metier.
In this collection of early stories, we see a nice harvest from the first 5 years of Zelazny's career. A goodly number of the best stories he wrote between 1962 and 1968 are included.
The whole book makes for pleasant reading, but I'd single out the following stories as being particularly worthy: "The Man Who Loved the Faoli," "This Mortal Mountain," and "This Moment of the Storm," the classic "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," and of course, the title story.
One of the mild peculiarities of Zelazny's collections is that stories he wrote at the beginning of his career are spread across a number of books, where they may in many cases be found side-by-side with later work. A reader wishing to explore his early short stories can't go to a single book.
The early stories span 4 collections: this book, and _Four for Tomorrow_, _The Last Defender of Camelot_, and at least one story ("But Not the Herald") in the book _Unicorn Variations_. A reader taken with Zelazny's early work should search out these collections for that reason alone.
(Note that a number of later stories are also worthy.)
Of the early work excluded from this volume, I'd single out "He Who Shapes," "The Graveyard Heart," "The Furies," and "For a Breath I Tarry" as the stories worth a look.
Although Zelazny's work has become widely available, there is a need for a _Collected Stories_. Such a compendium could put his work into historical context, as well as provide access to some stories not widely available or in some cases never reprinted.
Until such a publishing event occurs (knock on wood), we've got the story collections he published himself, for which we should feel gratitude.
(4.5 stars. "He Who Shapes" and "For a Breath I Tarry" would have made it 5.)
*****
An addendum much later: The iBooks edition of this book differs from the original book issued by Doubleday, in that the iBooks edition is enlarged to include several stories not in the original collection, among them "The Graveyard Heart" and "The Furies."
Using the same title for the collection will cause a certain amount of headache for collectors.
Almost all the Zelazny U'll ever need...........2002-08-20
This is the best single-author collection ever. From "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" to "This Mortal Mountain," "This Moment of the Storm," "The Man Who Loved the Faoli," & "Lucifer," this is Zelazny at his absolute BEST. If only "For a Breath I Tarry," "Permafrost" & "He Who Shapes" were here, U wouldn't need NE other Zelazny books. This stuff puts his AMBER novels totally out 2 pasture. This guy was brilliant, & if U haven't read his stuff, U've got some catching up 2 do. Start anywhere, U won't B sorry....
Great stories, terrible editing.......2001-12-17
I'm thrilled that ibooks is releasing a series of Roger Zelazny's works, but if this volume is any indication they need to do a much better job of editing. Among the many typographical errors in these exceptional SF stories is this gem from the Bible as quoted in Zelazny's classic short story, A Rose for Ecclesiastes: "...vanity of vanities; all IF vanity" (page 132). I almost lost my suspension of disbelief! Please, ibooks, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Affable Essex boy Jamie Oliver continues the British culinary invasion with The Naked Chef Takes Off, the smashing follow-up to his bestselling The Naked Chef. For Oliver, the young Food Network import, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family," and cooking up "what real people at home really want." The thing is, "real people" picking up cookbooks are often seeking easy-to-follow recipes. But that's not Oliver's bag. The layout of many of his recipes may frustrate traditional-cookbook readers--instructions often appear as one big chunk of conversational text with nary an ingredient or measurement in clear view--but that's part of the charm of Oliver's cookbooks. His commentary, tips, and cooking steps come across in a very approachable, colloquial style and leave plenty of room for individual flair or improvisation. Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking is infectious; the recipes and chapter introductions spill out like a best mate who just can't stop talking about food and how much fun--and simple--it can be to whip up these spectacular dishes.
Oliver kicks things off by stocking your pantry with best-quality ingredients, and he's an apostle for fresh herbs, raving on about growing and drying your own at home. "Morning Glory" is a chapter full of dishes like Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast (bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs brought together in the "biggest nonstick pan available" and sopped up with buttered toast--a rustic one-dish cure for any oncoming hangover). "Tapas, Munchies, and Snacks" brings Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chili Peppers to the table (when you're done snacking on the chilies, you're left with a jar of terrific flavored oil, perfect for salads or pasta). There's Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, and a Fragrant Thai Broth, infused with lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves. Once you've mastered his basic risotto recipe you can turn out Shrimp and Peas Risotto with Basil and Mint, and likewise his basic bread recipe is the foundation for Chocolate Twister Bread. "Easy peasy" dessert ideas like Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar or Malted Milk Balls and Ice Cream (bash a big bag of Whoppers into bits and sprinkle over quality vanilla ice cream) are a refreshing end to any meal. Now, be a "right little tiger" and get cooking--Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans and other fabulous dishes await. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Book Description
Affable Essex boy Jamie Oliver continues the British culinary invasion with The Naked Chef Takes Off, the smashing follow-up to his bestselling The Naked Chef. For Oliver, the young Food Network import, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family," and cooking up "what real people at home really want." The thing is, "real people" picking up cookbooks are often seeking easy-to-follow recipes. But that's not Oliver's bag. The layout of many of his recipes may frustrate traditional-cookbook readers--instructions often appear as one big chunk of conversational text with nary an ingredient or measurement in clear view--but that's part of the charm of Oliver's cookbooks. His commentary, tips, and cooking steps come across in a very approachable, colloquial style and leave plenty of room for individual flair or improvisation. Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking is infectious; the recipes and chapter introductions spill out like a best mate who just can't stop talking about food and how much fun--and simple--it can be to whip up these spectacular dishes. Oliver kicks things off by stocking your pantry with best-quality ingredients, and he's an apostle for fresh herbs, raving on about growing and drying your own at home. "Morning Glory" is a chapter full of dishes like Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast (bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs brought together in the "biggest nonstick pan available" and sopped up with buttered toast--a rustic one-dish cure for any oncoming hangover). "Tapas, Munchies, and Snacks" brings Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chili Peppers to the table (when you're done snacking on the chilies, you're left with a jar of terrific flavored oil, perfect for salads or pasta). There's Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, and a Fragrant Thai Broth, infused with lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves. Once you've mastered his basic risotto recipe you can turn out Shrimp and Peas Risotto with Basil and Mint, and likewise his basic bread recipe is the foundation for Chocolate Twister Bread. "Easy peasy" dessert ideas like Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar or Malted Milk Balls and Ice Cream (bash a big bag of Whoppers into bits and sprinkle over quality vanilla ice cream) are a refreshing end to any meal. Now, be a "right little tiger" and get cooking--Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans and other fabulous dishes await. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Customer Reviews:
Don't judge a book by its title.......2007-03-29
This cookbook is just The Return of the Naked Chef with a new title. I already owned The Return of the Naked Chef, so now I have two. I really dislike publishers who mislead us by changing titles or changing covers just to get us to buy that which we already own.
The naked chef.......2007-01-09
This book shows you the way to cook fusion food, mixing english, spanish, tai and italian food in a special way.
Yummy!.......2006-06-11
Great easy recipes that taste wonderful! Some ingredients may need to be substituted depending on country availability. I especially appreciate the flexibility and creativity his recipes offer. They're more like suggestions then guidelines. My favorite are his bread recipes. They are the easiest in the world to follow and make.
Recipe for Success!.......2006-05-25
I have a confession to make - I don't cook much! But I decided I wanted to do something special to surprise my girlfriend the other night, and so I decided to invest in my first cookbook.
I'd seen Jamie Oliver on the telly a few times and of all the TV chefs, he seemed the most approachable and so I decided to buy his book. And I'm glad I did.
At first I was a bit intimidated by some of his "easy" recipes (the monkfish in banana leaves seemed quite complicated) but then I found there were actually quite a few recipes that even a novice can handle. As well as various meals Jamie breaks the book into different chapters - starters, mains, desserts, drinks etc which would be very useful if you'd sorted out the main but didn't have a starter etc.
In the end I decided on:
Scallops with Prosciutto with smashed white beans
Followed by:
Tray Roast Sea Bass with mushroom potatoes
And for dessert:
Chocolate Pots (but I didn't make my own biscuits as he suggests in the book)
The good thing about the recipes was that they didn't take long to cook once the preparation was done, and it was easy to judge timings etc of the various courses.
The scallop starter was surprisingly simple, even though it looks quite something on the plate - though in the end I swapped streaky bacon for prosciutto because they didn't have any in Asda. It was still delicious. I think I overcooked the Tray Roast sea bass a bit, and maybe didn't slice the potatoes thin enough, because they were a bit hard, but Natasha said it was nice! The chocolate pots were very rich, but then you only make small portions to allow for that. (And they were great when we had them next morning for breakfast too!)
All in all I was well pleased with myself - and I'll definitely give some of his other recipes a go. If I can do it, so can anyone.
Thanks Jamie for a pukka meal!
5 star entertainment.......2006-04-18
Ok. I am sure the majority of you are more Jamie Oliver fans than wanting to buy his book for the cooking.
I really liked watching Jamie in the Naked Chef days...early ones especially so I was given this book from a friend of mine as a pressie. It was very entertaining and I guess his passion just shines through in his books and Naked chef etc... however as lame as it may sound I only recently made a couple of recipes including the 'kinda portuguese custard pie' which I know should taste amazing. I bought the best quality ingredients and even 2 vanilla pods from Sainsburys which cost me 3.99. The custard was way undersweet. Jamie suggested a medium heat to cook the custard and I even put it slightly less because my dad is a head chef and he told me it would turn into scrambled egg consistency and it did. He also said to cut the pastry 1 inch thick and I had a feeling that this would be too thin and indeed it was. I had spent one whole hour just sorting out the pastry only to end up watching it fall to pieces in the oven cos it was melting....I could go on forever but Jamie might be a good cook but do not confuse this with Gordon Ramsey standard of cooking.
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