King of the Mild Frontier is hilarious. Chris Crutcher takes the reader back to Cascade, Idaho in his childhood, filled with humorous mishaps, tears, confusion and mischief. From being a Boy Scout Bawlbaby to losing the fourth of July bike race and giving the commentator a one finger salute... What does Chris have to say for himself? I like cookies.

Whether or not you've read any of his other books (if you have, this will give interesting perspective on his characters and the man behind them), you'll enjoy this. I guarantee it.

I'm giving it to my Mom and Dad to read next, it's not just for young adults.

Chris Crutcher's autobiography, KING OF THE MILD FRONTIER is not just great for teens, it's great for EVERYONE -- and the perfect Father's Day gift for the dad who likes to laugh out loud. A top rate memoir about an author who's had his share of challenges, and yet come out of them better for the experience. Watch for Crutcher's star to rise in the next year. It's time this novelist was discovered outside of the YA confines. It's time he was a crossover author, floating to the top of the mainstream barrel. GREAT, GREAT stuff.

"...a deeply moral and philosophical work with important messages about life, death, relativity, heroism, and why bad things sometimes happen to good people. Essential for the many fans of Crutcher's work, and new readers will go from here to his fiction." ---Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, April 1, 2003

This is a stunning series. It has a wonderfully complex plot that weaves actual late-Roman Empire events with Breton myth, but one of its greatest attributes is the way the characters are brought to life. By the end of the books, what you remember most isn't the plot but the emotional struggle of the main character, Gratillonius, as he loses everything that was ever dear to him, and has to go on. The final scene is only a few pages long but is gut-wrenching because you feel every bit of pain it brings him. I normally don't enjoy fantasy because many books seem like a pale attempt to imitate Tolkein. This series is completely different but yet has the same ability to pull you into the story until you feel like these events actually happened. A word of warning: like the Lord of the Rings, it is written in slightly stilted, 'epic' English, which may bother some readers.

I usually don't care for fantasy, but this is certainly an exception. The story, like most of Anderson's, starts slow, but by the time you get to Book 3: Dahut, you will see the horrible events coming but will be unable to put the book down. Not only fantasy, but possibly also a classic of horror literature.

_The King of Ys_ enchanted me. It started as one of the very best fantasy series I've ever read. The setting is historical and meticulously detailed, containing a wealth of both magical and mundane details. Heck; the Andersons actually include an extensive collection of endnotes to each chapter detailing the factual elements of their story. In every way, this is a real world.

These people are not modern people stuck into a fantasy setting. They have the values of 4th-and-5th century people, exactly as they should. The gods aren't wimpy, ever-loving, beneficent friends; they're savage and demand obedience brutally. Bad things can happen to good people.

That's how I felt for the first three books, anyway. The fourth is kind of a letdown. The elements above are kept, but... I don't know. I can't go into exactly *why* it's a letdown, because I don't want to spoil the plot, but the story loses cohesion and really falls apart, if you ask me.

However, I still have to give it a "9" because, even though the last quarter was a disappointment, the first three quarters kept me riveted as few books have. Highly reccommended. And heck, you might even find more of worth in the end than I did.

A fantastic adventure - one of my favorite books as a child! I ordered copies for myself, my brother, my sister, and my mom. It is just as wonderful as I remember. The illustrations are superb, and the story is timeless.

This is a wonderful story, told as a fairy tale, about a king and his friends, each with a unique talent. They help each other using these gifts and are ultimately successful as a team in a situation where any one would have failed. The illustrations are old-fashioned but beautiful. The situations are interesting to children and make this a great introduction to longer fiction.

As a child in the mid 70's I can remember paging through this book for hours at a time before I could even read. The illustrations had a very overcast, eeriely beautiful, hazy atmosphere that haunted me (in a wonderful way) and still do today - thank god for Amazon's used bookstore search option! It reunited me with this old favorite & opon opening it for the first time in 20 years I practicaly had a religious experience from the nostalgia overload.

I thoroughly agree with the other reviewers. I love this book and have reread it so many times that I need a new copy! I find it hard to believe that, with so much rubbish around, this book is out of print! It was not based on any fairytale that I am familiar with - and isn't about two brothers in love with the same woman. . .rather it is a story in which Ms Sherman weaves the powers - and obligations - of a magician into a wonderful mixture of love, sorcery (black and white) and good triumphing over evil. Aidan, the son of a (good) witch and a king finds he has a brother and promises his dying mother that he will help his brother, the king. He does so despite the fact that he would rather stay with his true love, an elven lady in a land which bears a strong resemblance to a pagan Wales. He faces the suspicion of his brother's courtiers and new wife and the emnity of a neighboring king who dabbles in black sorcery and has a pact with demons. This king captures him and he gets free only with the help of one of the Fair Folk for whom he has done a favor. When he gets back he finds he is being blamed for the death of his brother's wife. Once he gets over the illness engendered by his imprisonment he finds a perfect match for his brother AND defeats the wicked king and his dark allies. Splendid stuff! Definitely read it if you liked her "Shattered Oath" and Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar and fairy tale series !

Josepha Sherman writes a lot of books about elves, both in urban settings and in more traditional settings. Out of all her books (the ones about magic and elves anyway), this is my favorite. "King's Son Magic's Son" is about Aidan, a human magician raised in the forest by his witch mother. Magic is second nature to him and he even falls in love with an Elven maiden. When his mother dies she makes him promise to get to know his half brother, who happens to be the king of the neighboring country. Reluctantly, Aidan leaves the forest and his lady to find his brother.

The reason I gave this book a five was because I can go back and read this book again and again. Aidan's arrival into a court full of "civilized" courtiers that are both suspicious of the King's bastard brother and of magic in general is both funny and exciting. The characters, though represent the usual fare in fantasy, have a certain depth. The main characters are especially unique. Aidan is torn between wanting to help Estemere, his wary brother, and going home to his lady. Estemere wants to trust his bastard brother, but is cautious of his position and politics.

This is the type of book that isn't too in depth or long, but is satisfying and a pleasure to read. I highly recomment it and if you can find it, read it quick!

King's Son, Magic's Son is the perfect book to read when you want to remind yourself why you started to read fantasy in the first place. This is high fantasy with one major difference-- it's done well.

While it might sound rather cliched with its many Faerie Folk, magicians and sorcerers, Josepha Sherman brings them all vividly to life. It's classic fantasy, done with high adventure and a romantic air.

To sum it up in one word-- EXCELLENT! If you're a fantasy fan of any sort, King's Son, Magic's Son is a refreshing change from some of the trash that gets published.

This is a fantastic Bible to own, with symbols and highlighting throughout and margin symbols to end-time events throughout the entire Bible. At the bottom of every page there is a commentary by either Kirban (an Arab), Gary Cohen (a Jew) or Spurgeon; there are many illustrations, timelines and charts, too. The whole of Revelation is his book "Revelation Visualized": a verse by verse analysis. Note that there aren't cross-references.

I have several letters dated back when Salem Kirban andhis family started this ministry in his basement. We have bought his books and two of the Reference Bibles. Let me say that if you want spirit filled revelation of the Word; this is the tool of the Lord. You won't go wrong. All of Salem Kirban books are inspirational.

This is a excellent study bible for serious Christians. It has additional features, helps if you will. Very easy to understand.

The Cameo Bible is a favorite of mine due to its size, readable print and the high degree of quality craftmanship that is employed by Cambridge University Press.

Best of all it is the Authorized (King James) Version so that you know you are reading the pure, uncorrupted, Word of God.

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." (Psalm 12:6,7)

If you are sick and tired of your bibles falling apart through constant use, then this bible is the ONE to get!!This bible is the absollute best that I own!!!. If you are looking for a durable, long lasting, well made bible: This is it!!! (or any bible published by Cambridge University Press, for that matter)> The print is clear and readable too. The only drawback is the raised letters in the text. If you find this feature annoying, then you may wish to consider the Concord Reference or the Concord Wide Margin Reference (I have that one as well) instead. All in all, I am pleased with this bible and fully expect to pass it down to my future children.

This Bible by far is the BEST I've ever owned! I came upon this Bible quite by accident. I had been to several stores and could not find a size I liked so I kept looking and what a blessing, I finally found it. The perfect Bible, the perfect size with perfect features. I was almost certain I would have to give up something to have a Bible this size (ie. concordance, dictionary, maps, chain reference) but when I opened it up and looked inside, to my amazement, ALL of these things were included!! So I sacrificed nothing by going with this "easier-to-handle" size but instead I got the perfect Bible containing EVERY feature I desire in a Bible. The dictionary is the best I've seen in a Bible (many scriptural references to go along with the dictionary information), the concordance is logically organized (I've seen many concordances which AREN'T!), and the chain reference has been very helpful to me in my studying.

My only wish is that they would offer it in more than 2 colors. I do have to say though the burgundy one looks great. It's my favorite of the two colors. I have the black one. I bought the burgundy one for my daughter with complete faith that it will last her for many, many years. The calfskin binding is a little on the rough side at first but it gets softer and softer the longer you own and handle it. It's also very durable. The India paper wasn't quite as "sticky" as other new Bible pages. They "break in" very quickly. They too seem to get softer with much use.

Rest assured, if you choose to purchase this Bible you definitely will not be disappointed!! And it's certainly worth more than it's price--for God's Holy Word is a precious and priceless treasure!!

Most gorgeous bible I have seen. All the beautiful paintings will totally put you at peace while you're browsing this bible. All the inspirational verses and text are another way to get to know T. Kinkade, the artist and man. Have bought this for more then myself, everyone is just in awe seeing it. Scripture is very easy on the eyes, just done exquisitely, and with amazon.com
so affordable.

I just received this bible for Christmas and I must say that it is the most beautiful bible that I have ever seen. Inside are pictures of Thomas Kinkade's work which are absolutely gorgous and inspiritational. If you are in the market to buy a new bible this is one I highly recommending purchasing. I was lucky enough to receive this as a gift.

I can think of no finer artist to illustrate the Message than Thomas Kinkade! This magnificent volume is generously filled with his heart warming illustrations. Appropriately, his talent with a brush conveys his ability to capture the light and illuminate from within. I feel a stronger connection reading God's word with this Bible than I do with the one I have had for three decades. Indeed, worthy of being an heirloom!

King of the Jews is a compelling, interesting fascinating read that tells the story of Lodz, the last ghetto to be liquidated in Poland. I.C. Trumpelmann is the protagonist. Supposedly a doctor, he cons his people, leaves, and returns to rule them and "protect" them from the nazis. He is loved and hated. There are funny parts, but most are horrifying and sad. One of the more interesting things about "King.." is that it gives you a look at not only what life was like inside the ghetto, but also the Jewish politics behind it.
The down side is that there are so many characters it's difficult to remember who is who. I knew that this was based on a real man, but it took me a while to realize that Epstein had changed almost every major character's name, including Hitler's.
Either which way, this is a fascinating book, that if fell into the right hands, would make a movie that could rival Schindler's List. Highly recommended.

I came across Epstein's latest novel SAN REMO DRIVE in the new fiction section of the bookstore, and rather than pay hardcover price for a good read, I decided to see if the store had his backlist in stock, and came across this. Almost buried under a dozen highly laudatory blurbs, I decided to take a chance, and discovered a great work of literary art. Based on the Polish city of Lodz and the sort of puppet leader set up by the Nazis to govern/liaison the Jewish ghetto there, Epstein paints a teeming, vivid portrait of what it was like to live in the absurdity and morally ambiguous maze of the ghetto. With a grand cast of quickly drawn yet almost-at-your-side breathing characters, dark, dark humor and a consistently paced torrent of words that captures the nearly Bosch-like space of this harrowing, unbelievable and dastardly experience, I feverishly followed the rise and fall of what becomes an apocryphal Jewish ghetto existence, if you can call it that. The best thing about it all is the lack of moralizing and judgement-making. Epstein just shows is like it is -- even though, thankfully, it is a thing that was. Historical. Hopefully. And lastly, but not leastly, I'm going to have to shell out hardcover cash to read his latest.

In 'King of the Jews', Epstein tells a captivating story of a doomed Polish Jewish Ghetto during WWII. The narrator makes us laugh and cry with his ironic view of the tragedy. It was daring of the author to break with tradition by allowing the reader to perceive WWII ghetto life with a sense of humor. By omitting the extremes of WWII horror, Epstein makes the story more believable without mitigating the tragedy. I could emphathize with the struggles yet did not perceive the Jews as victims. A great script for Mr. Spielberg!

I started reading Candace Robb's Owen Archer series at the suggestion of one of my patients, beginning with her favorite The Cross Legged Knight. I was immediately entranced. The King's Bishop was my second visit to 14th Century York and the home of Lucie Wilton and Owen Archer. I was not disappointed.

Ms Robb is an historian just shy of her PhD and specializes in Medieval History. She is also a consummate storyteller. Her characters are multidimensional; their actions are plausible; and their setting is believable. As a mystery writer, she excels in complex motives. In the Cross Legged Knight, she was able to pull a Collin Dexter out of the hat by producing two possible endings. In The King's Bishop she is able to recreate the ambiance of court intrigue and the murders that arise when ambition is the ultimate measure of an individual and where everything rests on the success of plot and counter plot.

One of the things that took me a while to get used to was the ending to these tales. Not everything comes out happily ever after. The sleuth is not always able to denounce the villain at the end as one is accustomed to reading in stories of this sort. What the ending is, however, is very realistic. Even in modern times, the guilty are not always punished according to the dictates one would expect of "justice;" even justice itself is designed to support the class structure. It is precisely for this reason that we usually enjoy murder mysteries: the guilty are brought to justice, their crimes are made manifest to society, and they are punished accordingly. In Owen Archer mysteries, the guilty sometimes get away with their miserable acts just as they do in our own times.

The stories are wonderfully detailed with respect to historical accuracy, yet they do not overwhelm the reader. Ms Robb is not a pedant. She seeks to create a venue for the actions of her characters without making the reader feel as though there is a test at the end of the story! Most of the unfamiliar terms are understandable from context, although she does supply a glossary for those of us who like to have more information. She also includes a small bibliography and a short history of the period and the characters. And yes, many of the characters were real people from history. These short texts are generally at the end of the book so one needn't feel obligated to read them, but I've taken to reading them first. I enjoy a little background material before I get into the meat of the work.

Very impressive. I would recommend the book to anyone from advanced junior high to adult readers.

The fourth book in the series does not disappoint. It has an intriguing story line with one of Owen's friends falling and love, and murder ensuing...
My favorite is still no. 2, The Lady Chapel, with Nun's Tale and this one right close behind.
I cannot say enough about how well the author Candace Robb writes these characters. I am not only interested in the plot and mystery of each book, but also the continuation of the lives of Owen, Lucia, Thoresby, Sir Robert, Jasper, Brother Michaelo, Riverwoman, the kids and even Lucie's Aunt.
I am now reading A Gift of Sanctuary, having just finished the Riddle of St. Leonards. These books are delicious reads truly.

I have enjoyed all of her books. If you like historical fiction that is light reading but entertaining this is the book you want.

Many mystery writers have created more memorable characters and have been better at constructing plots, but what makes Randall Garrett's work stand out is the setting. He imagines a Europe and America largely ruled by the British Empire, an Empire that never fell and has discovered magic along the way. Thus, we are treated to the adventures of a detective whose work takes place in a society totally different from our own. The existence of magic makes for an interesting x-factor in the stories. All in all, it makes for a fun read.

It's great to see paperback publishers bringing out "unitary editions" of OP classics for the benefit of those who were too young to know them when they first appeared (or have read their original copies to rags), and Garrett's Lord Darcy trilogy is one of the best choices this particular house could have made. In a splendidly imagined and explicated parallel/alternate 20th-Century world where magic not only works but has been officially codified and where the milieu takes off from recognized historical events (Richard Lionheart didn't die at the Siege of Chaluz in France in 1199, and his descendants went on to create the Anglo-French-speaking Angevin Empire, where physics, not sorcery, is the stuff of fairy tales--the internal-combustion engine and wired communications have never been invented, yet magic operates according to mathematical theory), Garrett seamlessly brings together sf, fantasy, espionage, and murder mystery in the adventures of Lord Darcy, Chief Investigator for the Duke of Normandy, and his friend and assistant, Master Sorcerer Sean O Lachlainn. "Too Many Magicians" is a full-length novel with elements of international intrigue lent by the machinations of Casimir IX of the Polish "quasi-empire," who, like Hitler, dreams of continental (if not world) domination, while "Murder and Magic" and "Lord Darcy Investigates" are collections of short stories originally published in various sf magazines in the '60's and '70's. Garrett (now, sadly, deceased) was obviously a student of history, and he's also a skilled and ingenious plotter who shows a real mastery of what used to be called the "locked-room mystery." Though some of his characters' explanations of how and why magic works may seem a bit tedious, your patience in reading them through will be rewarded--everything in them contributes to your understanding of Lord Darcy's reality. And he throws in some great curve balls too: while "Mechicoe" is a duchy of the Empire's New World possessions, it's still administered by a (Christianized) descendant of the Montezumas. I can think of no similar book that's as good apart from Poul Anderson's "Operation" stories. These books can truly be appreciated as examples of more than one genre and should reach a crossover audience.

The Lord Darcy stories are set in an alternate universe where magic works and King Richard I lived longer, leaving Britain and France still under the control of the Plantagenet family. Lord Darcy is the chief criminal investigator for Richard, the Duke of Normandy, and Master Sean O'Lochlainn is his sidekick and forensic sorcerer. They are called in to investigate crimes in which magic has been used. It is a series of short mystery stories, including locked room puzzles and a knockoff of Murder on the Orient Express. The writing is a little repetitive--in particular, I grew very tired of the phrase "the tubby little Irish sorcerer". But overall, these stories are just incredibly fun.