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| HOME | WESTERN | CRIME and MYSTERY | ROMANCE | CHRISTIAN | SCI-FI | FANTASY Author: A through M | N through Z | HORROR |
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| Bradley, Marion Zimmer | WItchlight |
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Publication Date |
1996 |
| Number of Pages | 303 |
| Geographical Setting | Glastonbury, a small college town on the Hudson River; Fall River Sanitorium, an exclusive mental hospital; New York City; Long Island; San Francisco; a long-term care facility north of San Francisco; a working class New Jersey suburb; Dayton, Ohio; several small towns in the mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest; and the astral plane. |
| Time Period | Contemporary |
| Series | Ghostlight, 1996; Gravelight,1997; Heartlight,1998 |
| Plot Summary | Winter Musgrave, successful Wall Street commodities trader, finds herself in Greyangels, a colonial house in the Hudson Valley, with only sketchy memories of leaving Fall River Sanitorium, where she had been heavily drugged following a nervous breakdown. Terrified by the holes in her memory, she goes to bed each night with the doors and windows locked, yet in the morning they're always open. Even worse, every time she goes outside she finds a mutilated, dead animal near the back door. According to researchers Dylan Palmer and Truth Jourdemayne, Winter is experiencing both a poltergeist and a "magikal child" called up by a practitioner of the occult arts, which is stalking her while drawing growing strength from the wildlife on which it preys. Against her better instincts, Winter then allows Truth to do psychic battle with the magikal child, a confrontation from which Truth barely escapes alive. Who would have called up such a magikal child, and why? Winter's quest is to find forgotten friends, reclaim her past, and, in the process, gather enough information to vanquish the magikal child, which is killing ever larger prey. But will she succeed? |
| Appeal | Suspenseful quest involving paranormal powers and the occult, with strong women characters and feminist themes. Elaborate descriptions of occult rituals, various schools of magic, and the unseen world. Fast-moving, with a wide variety of well-described locales. Interesting subplots and a large cast of likeable secondary characters. Several characters grow and change during the course of the story. |
| Notes | Some
geographical errors. Pro-choice slant. Magic presented as a potentially positive force. |
| Reviewer/Date | Barbera Bass, 8/2/00 |
| Cooper, Louise | Star Ascendant |
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Publication Date |
1995 |
| Number of Pages | 349 |
| Series | This is the first book in a series that stands as a prequel to Cooper’s Time Master trilogy. However, I was unable to locate subsequent series titles. |
| Plot Summary | In this world, Order and Chaos are in an eternal struggle for control. Their powers are equally matched; each has seven gods, led by one chief deity: Yandros is Chaos, and Aeoris is Order. Yet there is never equilibrium between Order and Chaos: one power is usually dominant while the other secretly plots to regain control. When the ruling power neglects its vigilance, the subordinate power seizes the opportunity and the balance shifts—from Order to Chaos, back and forth like a pendulum throughout time. At present, Chaos holds sway through its earthly representatives, the magi of the Castle of the Star Peninsula. A new First Magi, the cruel ascetic Vordegh, is chosen, and Benetan Liss and the Chaos Riders are sent abroad to reap a human harvest to serve the magi of the Castle. Among those taken is Iselia, whom Benetan once loved years ago, before he had suffered a similar fate. Stolen on her wedding day, Iselia and her husband Kaldar have secretly pledged themselves to bring back Order to the world. Rather than let her be given to a Chaos demon as a plaything, Benetan gives Iselia to his friend Savrinor for her protection. Iselia’s presence reawakens buried feelings within Benetan, which Iselia rejects, despising him for his allegiance to Chaos. Now, as Vordegh mounts a brutal campaign against the last vestiges of Order—a campaign so cruel that it appalls even the gods of Chaos—Benetan must choose between his comfortable position at the Castle and the secret knowledge that he is harboring a disciple of Order within the Castle itself. And Benetan’s increasingly erratic behavior is not going unnoticed… |
| Appeal | Well-developed characters and a detailed, complex world. The Order/Chaos conflict is an interesting variation of good vs. evil. Neither side is totally good or bad: Order is peace and stability, but also rigid control; Chaos is anarchy and lawlessness, but also freedom. |
| Notes | A fairly clean read (Cooper’s books are generally all this way). A good story that can stand on its own, but finding other series titles can be challenging. The Time Master and at least two other series are more widely available. |
| Reviewer/Date | John F. McPike 8/1/2000 |
| Brooke, Terry | The Elfstones of Shannara |
|
Publication Date |
1982 |
| Number of Pages | 564 |
| Time Period | Future?
(after the great wars all but annihilated the race of man and changed forever the face of the old world. P.50) |
| Series | The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara |
| Plot Summary | Ancient Evil threatens the Elves. The ancient tree called the Ellcrys is dying releasing the hordes of demons that are imprisoned by her magic. Wil Ohmsford is summoned to guard Amberle, an Elven girl, on a perilous quest as she carries a seed from the Ellcrys to the mysterious Bloodfire so the magic can be reborn. Pursuing them is the Reaper, the most fearsome of all Demons. Wil has only the Elfstones of Shannara to protect them. |
| Appeal | Elves, Druids, Trolls, Demons. Good versus evil. Large-scale fantasy war. Strong character development. Magic. Romance. |
| Reviewer/Date | Joanne Gen 8/3/00 |
| Cochran, Molly and Warren Murphy | The Forever King |
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Publication Date |
1992 |
| Number of Pages | 364 |
| Geographical Setting | Chicago; New York and Somerset County,England |
| Time Period | Modern day |
| Series | Broken Sword by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy |
| Plot Summary | An embittered and heart-sore ex-FBI agent by the name Hal Woczniak, has won a trip to Somerset County, England. While there he meets up with a young American boy named Arthur who has a cup with mysterious healing powers. An evil man named Saladin who is after the cup, the Holy Grail, kidnaps Arthur, who is a reincarnation of King Arthur. Hal, who is a reincarnation of Sir Galahad, has one more chance to save Arthur and supposedly Camelot. Can he do it? Or will he let his fears and self-doubts destroy his efforts? |
| Appeal | An intriguing modern-day twist on the King Arthur tale. |
| Notes | Acts of physical violence are graphically described. A basic understanding of the King Arthur story is needed in order to understand and appreciate this novel. |
| Reviewer/Date | Pamela Chamberlain 7/31/00 |
| Dalkey, Kara | Goa |
|
Publication Date |
1996 |
| Number of Pages | 252 |
| Geographical Setting | Portuguese colony of Goa, on the west coast of India |
| Time Period | Late 16th - early 17th centuries |
| Series | Blood of the Goddess: 1) Goa 2) Bijapur 3) Bhagavati |
| Plot Summary | Young Thomas Chinnery, apprentice to an English apothecary, sets sail for the Portuguese colonies of India and East Africa to search for rare herbs and remedies. The journey is side tracked when the captain of the ship turns pirate, and attacks a small, rich Portuguese vessel. Aboard the captured ship are two prisoners--an alchemist and an Indian priestess -- who are to be tried for sorcery and heresy by the Inquisition in Portugal. Ever resourceful, Thomas obtains, from the alchemist, a vial of dried blood (known as Rasa Mahadevi, or, the Blood of the Goddess) that has the power to raise the dead and kill the living. Betrayed by a shipmate, Thomas is brought to the Grand Inquisitor of Goa, who discovers that Thomas possesses a map to the source of the potion. Thus, begins an adventurous journey into the heart of ancient India, to search for the Blood of the Goddess, and the force behind it. |
| Appeal | Historical fantasy fiction/Adventure. Indian setting/Hindu Gods and Goddesses. 16th century setting/Inquisition. |
| Notes | Rich in historical detail. Dynamic characters. This volume of the trilogy is not intended to stand alone. |
| Reviewer/Date | Pamela Richards 8/3/00 |
| Goldman, William | The Princess Bride. S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. 25th Anniversary Edition. The "Good Parts" version abridged. |
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Publication Date |
1973, 1998 |
| Number of Pages | 399 |
| Geographical Setting | Florin City in the country of Florin |
| Time Period | Once upon a time |
| Plot Summary | The handsome, poor farm boy Westley leaves the beautiful Buttercup to seek his fortune in the Americas. On the high seas, his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts and Westley is presumed dead. Buttercup vows never to love again. As the years pass, Florin's Prince Humperdinck chooses Buttercup to be his bride. He does not intend to marry her, however, but rather to have her killed so her death can start a war with the country's enemies, the Guilderians. After an amusing turn of events, Westley reappears to save Buttercup, only to get thrown into one adventure after another, involving a Fire Swamp, Rodents of Unusual Size, and the Zoo of Death. The lovers once again are separated, but will true love prevail? |
| Appeal | A cast of funny, eccentric, and lovable characters. Descriptive settings take the reader to fantastic lands. A fairy tale-like story with very witty dialogue. |
| Notes | Some torture scenes. Wrap-around story with the author relating his own childhood experience of having the Morgenstern book read to him. This 25th anniversary edition includes the long-lost sequel, Buttercupís Baby, also abridged. William Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the Princess Bride movie, directed by Rob Reiner. |
| Reviewer/Date | Yvonne Ng 8/3/2000 |
| Kay, Guy Gavriel | A Song for Arbonne |
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Publication Date |
1992 |
| Number of Pages | 513 |
| Geographical Setting | Arbonne and Gorhaut (Imaginary Countries) |
| Time Period | Medieval |
| Series | Though not part of a series per se, A Song for Arbonne makes passing reference to Kay’s earlier work, The Fionavar Tapestry, a trilogy which encompasses the following books: The Summer Tree (1985), The Wandering Fire (1986), and The Darkest Road (1986). |
| Similar Author/Title | The Lions of Al-Rasan (1995) Guy Gavriel Kay. Tigana (1990) Guy Gavriel Kay. |
| Plot Summary | The country of Arbonne, a fantastic realm with its roots in the medieval France of our own world, is a land of knightly corans, wandering troubadours and minstrels, and the mysterious priests and priestesses of the goddess Rian. Into this land wanders the mercenary Blaise, a bitter exile from the cold, cruel realm of Gorhaut which lies to the north of Arbonne. When the evil king of Gorhaut hatches a plot to conquer Arbonne, leading an unstoppable, ruthless army of northern warriors, Blaise must choose between the land of his birth and his new home, whose beauty and mystery have captivated him. |
| Appeal | An exciting adventure filled with intrigue, romance, and medieval combat. A well-developed imaginary world with colorful customs, interesting religions, and a complex history. |
| Notes | Explicit sex and violence. Includes a map of Arbonne and the surrounding realms. |
| Reviewer/Date | Kyle Samudio 8/3/00 |
| Lawhead, Stephen R. | Arthur |
|
Publication Date |
1989 |
| Number of Pages | 446 |
| Geographical Setting | Britain |
| Time Period | During the time of King Arthur |
| Series | This
is one of five books. Arthur is number three in the Pendragon series. |
| Similar Authors/Titles | The Once and Future King by T.H. White, The Crystal Cave; The Hollow Hills; and The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart. |
| Plot Summary | Arthur, Merlin and Arthur's supporters seek to unite Britain and establish peace. They struggle with evil kings, invaders, spells and enchantments. They succeed, but then they are challenged by treachery within their ranks. The novel moves towards a mysterious ending. |
| Appeal | This book appeals to patrons interested in fantasy and myths about Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. |
| Notes | Moves from dull to exciting, the reader needs to keep reading. Celtic names instead of common English names for people and places are often confusing. |
| Reviewer/Date | David Stephens 8/3/2000 |
| Le Guin, Ursula K. | A Wizard of Earthsea |
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Publication Date |
1968 |
| Number of Pages | 187 |
| Geographical Setting | Earthsea Archipelago |
| Time Period | Early civilization. |
| Series | The Earthsea Trilogy |
| Similar Authors/Titles | Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy is compared to J.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. |
| Plot Summary | The story starts as the young child, Ged, begins on his life quest to become the greatest sorcerer in the land. At first, he is merely learning chants from his aunt, the village witch. Some of these are for entertainment, others for healings, others were tasks of mending, binding, revealing, or even a little bit of weatherwork. But these were very simple chants or lore. Ged with only this simple knowledge is able to use his skill to save his village when it is attacked. This leads to him being discovered by an eminent sorcerer, Ogion, who takes Ged to begin his training in earnest. Ged goes for greater training to the School on Roke. Here he will receive the lessons necessary to develop his skill. As a boy, Ged's pride and temper cause him many problems. These are the root of the suspenseful adventure in this novel when in a personal showdown with one of the other students Ged tampers with chants he is not fully trained to use and unleashes a terrible shadow-demon into the world. He must then master the words of power and go through many adventures in his attempt to undo his foolish act. |
| Appeal | Magic and sorcery. Good over evil. Adventure. |
| Notes | This is basically a wholesome, gentle read. |
| Reviewer/Date | Chris Vander Weit - 8/1/00 |
| Maguire, Gregory | Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West |
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Publication Date |
1995 |
| Number of Pages | 406 |
| Geographical Setting | The Land of Oz |
| Time Period | Late 1800's to 1901-1909 (presidency of Teddy Roosevelt) |
| Plot Summary | A dense, textured story weaves the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's life into L. Frank Baum's world of Oz. She starts life as Elphaba, first-born child of an aristocratic mother and minister father. However, green-skinned from birth, they view her as punishment for some real or imagined sin, which runs as a theme throughout Elphaba's life. Each of the book's five parts are vignettes of her genesis from child to the Wicked Witch of the West. Filled with themes of familial acceptance, societal unrest, drawbacks of power, and good and evil, the Witch's story is a compelling and captivating tale. |
| Appeal | Characters from the Wizard of Oz. The Witch's story. Political intrigue. Detailed imagery. Challenges preconceived notions of good and evil. |
| Notes | Map of the Land of Oz. Illustrations - beginning of each part. Violence. Sexual Content. |
| Reviewer/Date | Stefanie Frame 8/3/00 |
| Maguire, Gregory | Wicked: The life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West |
|
Publication Date |
1995 |
| Number of Pages | 406 |
| Geographical Setting | Set in Oz during the lifetime of the Wicked Witch of the West |
| Time Period | Approximately 35 years before Dorothy's arrival |
| Plot Summary | Ever wonder what the other side of the story is? Elphaba (WWW's real name) isn't really wicked; she suffers from an unusual skin condition and is unwilling to jump lightly into any religion or system of beliefs, having been raised by a missionary father in the farthest reaches of Oz. This journey through years and over the majestic and interesting lands first described by L. Frank Baum gives more background than Dorothy Gale, that murderous interloper, could possibly comprehend. From the most unusual circumstances surrounding Elphaba's birth and parentage, to her untimely demise, the story is told in the context of the major political changes affecting Oz, thanks to that not-so-Wonderful Wizard. Elphie's family (including sister Nessarose, sometimes known as the Witch of the East) and friends (such as college roommate Glinda) can't even begin to understand the poor green girl - but maybe we can. |
| Appeal | Interesting twist on a familiar story. Humorous events entwined with deeper philosophical musings. Talking animals, elves, and other creatures in a fully realized alternate world. |
| Notes | Some sexual scenes. Graphic descriptions of crime scenes. Some graphic language. Maps of Oz. Woodcut/pencil illustrations. Very little magic/sorcery. |
| Reviewer/Date | Stephanie Deininger, 8/3/2000 |
| HOME | WESTERN | CRIME and MYSTERY | ROMANCE | CHRISTIAN | SCI-FI | FANTASY Author: A through M | N through Z | HORROR |