As its prequel, Higgins introduced us to a variety of characters, some good, some bad, none perfect. There are parallels between most of the characters - the pilot, the blackmarketeering gangsters, the Nazi spies etc. The British were not as serendipitious in this case as before, though Ludlum did lead readers to think they might be. Devlin should have learnt not to leave live enemies behind, esp blackmarketeers. The ending though, was rather abrupt. Readers could have guessed that Himmler had something up his sleeve but I was disappointed when his real intent for the rescue of Steiner was not more sinister. OTOH, how his plots were discovered were just to ridiculous.

This book is the sequel to Higgins' earlier work "The Eagle has Landed," a story about a small group of German paratroopers sent to England in 1943 to kidnap Winston Churchill. It picks up just after "Landed."

Heirich Himmler charges one of his SS generals with putting together a plot to break out the only survivor of the first mission, Lt. Col. Steiner, who's being held as a POW in London. General Schellenberg recruits former IRA gunman Liam Devlin, now in Lisbon, to run the operation in England. Devlin succeeds, with the help of a pair of down-on-their-luck English fascist sympathizers and one of Devlin's old IRA sleeper contacts in London. There's also a subplot of an attempted SS coup against Hitler, and Devlin & company's attempt to thwart it.

This book isn't quite on par with "Landed," but is a good read nonetheless. If you read "Landed," then you'd probably enjoy this book, although it did leave the issue of what happened to the survivors unresolved at the end, which sticks in my craw a little bit. I would have liked it better if Higgins had extended the epilogue and wrapped everything up, but it seemed he was leaving the door open for a third book in the series. I did think it was interesting how Higgins framed most of the narrative: The prologue and epilogue were set in the present day, as though an aging Liam Devlin was telling the story to Higgins.

I thought the most interesting character was Captain Asa Vaughn, an American pilot who fought the Soviets for the Finns, but when the Finns allied with the Germans, was given a choice: the SS or a concentration camp. He joined the SS, with the condition that he only fights on the Eastern Front. He's ordered to fly into England and exfiltrate Devlin and Steiner. I would have liked Higgins to go into some more detail about Vaughn and what happened to him after the war; what did he do with the rest of his life? Did he ever go back to the States? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait for Higgins to turn out the 3rd book to clear up this and my other questions.

If you liked "The Eagle has Landed," you like "The Eagle has Flown," but be prepared for some unresolved questions at the end.

This Historical fiction, The Eagle has Flown is a sequel to Higgins previous novel The Eagle has Landed. The novel takes place in Europe during the last years of World War II. Higgins starts the novel with an investigation regarding the attempts on British Prime Minster Winston Churchill's life. The one in specific conducted by a Nazi, General Steiner of the SS from Germany. The mission was compromised and General Steiner the only survivor jailed in a priory run by a Father and several nuns. Himmler a senior SS orders his comrade General Schellenberg to conduct a rescue of the fallen prisoner of war. General Schellenberg contacts Liam Devlin a British Nazi, who knows Nazi sympathizers in London who will help plan the release of General Steiner. The mission is to sneak into the Priory and rescue Steiner but this mission was to busy the officers while extremist in the SS including Himmler would assassinate Hitler and organize a coup. The reason the SS wants to kill Hitler is not because of the tremendous war crimes but because of his careless and contradictory plans regarding the war that were hurting the German forces.

The novel in part of Higgins is well planned out and put together. There are several concepts that Higgins touched that are factual but omitted from history books and other novels. The concepts include the willingness of the German people to stop the war and the German officers who fought to protect and honor their country not Hitler. This novel has the great ability to pull you into the book and make your mind wonder in deep optimism for the Nazi, even though they were on the wrong hand in this bloody war. Higgins after getting a taste of sequels left this novel's end in great conflict with no definite closure, he must plan to continue the The Eagle series. This novel is recommended to those who like war read and who will not stress themselves over late World War II terminology contained in this novel.

Wilderness Tips is arguably Margaret Atwood's best short story collection and eloquently shows Atwood's warmth, wit, intelligence, humanity and insight into relationships. My personal favourites are 'Hairball' and 'Bog Man' and 'True Trash.' If you have read anything else by Margaret Atwood and enjoyed it, you won't be disappointed by this collection. I also recommend Alice Munro to anyone who is a fan of Atwood; she's not quite as funny or compelling, but she does write highly polished, interesting short stories.

In a college English class I was introduced to "Death By Landscape," a short story from Atwood's "Wilderness Tips." Atwod has always been a favorite of mine, and her short story was no exception. Immediately I went out and bought "Wildnerness Tips." From "True Trash" to "Hairball" I was kept glued to the pages of Atwood's anthology. Simply put: I loved it. Her stories were thoughtful and complex--and even a bit unordinary.

I am a big fan of Margaret Atwood. I have enjoyed most all of her novels but, after reading "Dancing Girls", I was under the opinion that short stories were not her thing. However, I believe the collection of stories in "Wilderness Tips" is one of her best works. The stories are superb beginning with "True Trash" which takes us to a summer camp and introduces us to a young woman's secret and a younger man's sad lack of awareness of the life he's created. It ends, or rather, evaporates leaving us with unrealized expectations. "Hairball" is a marvelous story about revenge for a scorned affair. "The Bog Man" is essentially the same subject matter. "Uncles" is a beautiful story about the father figures in a girl's life. Although she doesn't know her real father, she knows her uncles. Their characters are somewhat undeveloped because it is their strength, not their personality that we need to understand. We follow the life of the girl whose security is lost after the uncles are gone. For me, the most compelling story is "Death by Landscape". The story takes place at a summer camp and involves the lives of two girls who become attached after spending successive summers together. The ending is bizarre and Atwood takes us beyond that and leaves us with eerie goosebumps. The other stories are compelling and the reader finishes ready for more. Margaret Atwood is a very gifted writer and may some day be awarded the Nobel Prize. Her insights to femininity (as opposed to feminism) are a prime element of her genius. If you haven't read Atwood, this would be an excellent introduction. If you have read Atwood, then you'll be reading this anyway (if you haven't already).

Although I read the book quickly, it became impossible to suspend disbelief. The actions of some of the characters simply made no sense... except to move the plot along. While the book has many twists, many were not plausable. The enjoyment of the book, therefore, was signficantly reduced as the actions of the characters (particularly the mother and daughter) became silly. It's too bad becasue Follett is a good writer and "The Man from St. Petersburg" had great potential. "The Eye of the Needle" was far superior - it easily passed the plausability test.

Ken Follett has done it again! The book is based in the early 1990's, the World War 1 as a backdrop. The protagonists are from Russia and England, two major players in the World War. Along with giving an interesting insight, into the politics carried out by leaders and influential people in a nation, which ultimately go on to determine the fate of the whole world, it delves deep into the psyches of the main players - common people with emotions and weaknesses not different from yours or mine. The best thing I liked about this book, is that the characters are so real.And there are no heroes or villains. You sympathise and empathise with each of the characters at various times as you read along. With the narration being of such a high quality, I wondered how Ken Follett would manage an ending which would do justice to the story so far. Ken Follett did not let me down.The ending could not have been better.

This incredible story has many parallelisms with Follett's "Eye of the Needle" novel. Instead of WWII this story takes place in the pre WWI era. England and Russia are in desperate need for a treaty in preparation of Germany's attack. A well known Russian anarchists has been sent to England to assassinate the negotiating Russian Prince hence destroying any faith between the two countries and to fulfill his quest of war against the Russian oppressed. "The Man from St. Petersburg" is more than a book filled with suspense, lust and lies-Follett makes the reader experience the hardships of Russian socialism and the glamour and prestige of the English monarchy. What is so interesting was at face value the two seem very distant, only to find out they share the same pain and turmoil. The author captures the reader with several twists of fate within the personal pasts of the anarchist's lover and now wife of a British Earl. The story leaves this reader full of questions about the hypocracy of British monarchy. It fully explains why distorting the truth to preserve one's pride of class and reputation can have devastating repercussions. This is a good read, a typical Follett masterpiece, regardless of its mirror image of "The Needle", "The Man From St. Petersburg" truely has its own identity.

Though Lynne Meredith means well, and is correct that there is no law forcing you to pay taxes, she suggests using many faulty arguments that can lead you to prison. It is important that you read the much more reasearched, professional and cautious book by Otto Skinner before you take any action with just Lynne's book alone.

I firmly believe in the American way of life in so much as everyone of you do. I believe that I can become and be whatever I choose. I also believe this because of my Constitution (and Yours). I have been lead to believe that throughout history the government has always tried to sustain and maintain the AMERICAN way of life, but in recent years I have began to doubt this conviction. I have read this book and if only 1/2 of what this book portrays is true, then I am IGNORANT. I have always dreamed of being self-reliant and in control of my own destiny, but as many of you know we work to pay our way of life and most of people by the time we can enjoy the fruits of their labor are too OLD to fully enjoy what they have earned. If ownly you would have had 10 years earlier to start enjoying your life. Well in basics if this book is TRUE you can enjoy those 10 years plus a few more and is this not what we ALL DREAM ABOUT DOING WITH OUR LIVES. I hope that each person reading this book will ask the same questions and in turn ask someone else to read this book and ask these questions, and I hope this BOOK is True to its Calling. God Bless America AGAIN

This is an extremely vital book for all Americans. I only wish I had read Lynne's book before April 15th. If you are one of the millions of Americans who will file a 1040 this year, I implore you to read this book first. The truth will certainly set you free.

Kathleen Eagle is gifted author who creates books that are impossible to put down. When The Last Good Man was released, I immediately went to my local bookstore and gladly paid full price for a chance to enjoy this latest Kathleen Eagle book. What a disappointment! The only compelling character is Clay, the man Savannah marries. Savannah, the main character, is an unsympathetic self-involved woman who struggles far too long to come to terms with the after effects of breast surgery. The book is a series of endless drawn-out conversations between Savannah and other characters who populate this slow moving story. Mrs. Eagle's other books were beautifully written and compelling. The Last Good Man is truly not a light romance novel. It is a tedious reading experience. If you're determined to read this book, get it from your local library or wait until the book becomes available in paperback.

I wanted to love THE LAST GOOD MAN. After all, the heroine is a breast cancer survivor. As a fan of Kathleen Eagle, I was looking forward to her treatment of a sensitive issue, for the people who have/had breast cancer and those who love them. But Savannah Stephens, the heroine in question, very nearly deep sixes all Ms. Eagle's good intentions. Self-involved to the point of pathetic, she spends 95% of the book so prickly and unkind to Clay, the wonderful hero, a man who has always loved her, that she becomes very nearly irredeemable. She has a wonderful, intelligent daughter who adores her, so her reluctance to get out of bed in the morning at the beginning of the book is mind-boggling. She marries her best friend for the sake of her daughter's security, then refuses to share his bed or let him touch her. Clay, meanwhile, suffers a wealth of hurt and dismay as he learns that simply having this woman in his life is not enough. He needs her trust him with her pain, and her withholding of that trust makes this book one of the saddest I have ever read. In the end, as you would expect, Savannah comes around, and when she does it's like all the ice she was buried under melts away to reveal a woman who knows she'd be a fool to let go of such a fantastic man. The finaly chapter saved this book for me and brought it up to a 4-star, as opposed to 3-star, read.

In Sunbonnet, Wyoming the townsfolk are all excited over the return of supermodel Savannah Stephens for the first time in years. Savannah was a fixture on all the catalogues, but abruptly vanished. Now she has come home to care for her beloved ailing aunt. Especially elated about Savannah's return is Clay Keogh who always loved her. However, he knows that she was fascinated with his half-brother, a person wanted by the law for his overzealous activism.

However, Clay's dreams of this time being different are hammered when he sees the six-year-old child accompanying Savannah. Claudia Ann looks like a female miniature of his hiding half-brother. Although Savannah refuses to divulge the identity of Claudia Ann's father, Cole offers her a deal. If she marries him, he will become a father to her frightened little daughter worried about her mother's bout with breast cancer. However, marriage might interfere with her thoughts of returning to modeling.

Kathleen Eagle always provides a deep emotional tale that pulls on the hearts of the readers. Her most recent novel, THE LAST GOOD MAN, is a warm, passionate love story concentrating on various relationships. The characters make the novel, as fans will want to adopt Claudia Ann and empathize with the lead couple. Once again, Ms. Eagle takes her audience on a soaring sentimental journey.

Harriet Klausner

This is a very well written book. It is an excellent writeup of Ross Perot's daring rescue of his employees from Iran when they were arrested by the Iranians during the revolution. There were some interesting characters in this book. One of the more noteable characters was Bull Simon. This book describes the rescue from start to finish. You will admire the cunning and bravado of the hostages as well as their rescuers. You will also come to admire the raw nerve of H. Ross Perot. You have to remember that this was Iran at it's most dangerous time. You will also become a fan of Ken Follett. Read this book. You will not be dissapointed.

I had read this book and enjoyed it, and gave it to my elderly father because I thought he would enjoy it too. He thinks Ross Perot is great. He read it in three days.

It is truly astounding that Mr. Perot pulled off this daring rescue. In late 1978, with revolution exploding, Perot's two top executives for EDS (Paul and Bill) were arrested in Tehran, Iran, and Mr. Perot's own name was on "Stop" lists at airports, etc. Mr. Perot went to Iran to visit his men in jail and then managed to get past the passport checkpoints at the airport to fly back out again. Amazing. The tale of Paul and Bill's escape from jail and theirs and other EDS employees escape from Iran is better than any fiction story.

I have noticed some other reviewers saying this was not really a rescue. I wonder if they read the same book I did. Can you say Bull Simons?

On The Wings of Eagles is destined to be a classic. It is the true life story of Ross Perot trying to save members of his corporation who are being held hostage by the Iranian government. He first tries using his clout and influence in Washington but when that does not work he hires a team of mercenaries to go to Iran to free the hostages and return unharmed to the United States.

The book reads like a fictional spy novel; however, it is a true story. Not "based on a true story" but 100% nonfiction, according to author Ken Follett. Nevertheless, this is one book that you will just not want to put down.

The maps, pictures, and cast of characters list makes the book even easier to follow.

Furthermore, the book also gives insight into the real life character, ex-presidental candidate, Ross Perot.

I either agree or sympathise with all of the previous reviewers. This is a difficult book from the standpoint that without some exposure to the London Underground transit system, one is reading the story from a slight disadvantage. Mind you, it is only a slight obstacle--don't avoid the chance to read this book and enjoy Barbara Vine's fascinating tale of the emotionally disenfranchised denizens of Jarvis Stringer's sheltering old brick home, the former Cambridge School.

If you have read this far, you know the basic plot and are aware of the major players in the drama. So I will leave you with this enticement. It is, in a very odd way, a fun read that goes by all too quickly. As in all of Barbara Vine's novels, justice is served up sooner or later (usually later) and, as always, it is never polite justice. Barbara Vine delivers the kind of justice that one dreams of but rarely ever sees. The last page of this novel is well worth the wait.

A word of warning to the readers who are squeamish around the subject of feeding the animals. The hawk belonging to Jed, Abelard, is especially fond of a certain delicacy that is very hard to envision without a lurching of the stomach. Not for the faint of heart!

On that note, if Ruth Rendell ever reads her reviews on Amazon, and she really should, I hope that they will serve as a justification for no imminent retirement from the world of writing. It would be so hard to live knowing that there wouldn't be another Barbara Vine novel to consume with my usual gusto!

I either agree or sympathise with all of the previous reviewers. This is a difficult book from the standpoint that without some exposure to the London Underground transit system, one is reading the story from a slight disadvantage. Mind you, it is only a slight obstacle--don't avoid the chance to read this book and enjoy Barbara Vine's fascinating tale of the emotionally disenfranchised denizens of Jarvis Stringer's sheltering old brick home, the former Cambridge School.

If you have read this far, you know the basic plot and are aware of the major players in the drama. So I will leave you with this enticement. It is, in a very odd way, a fun read that goes by all too quickly. As in all of Barbara Vine's novels, justice is served up sooner or later (usually later) and, as always, it is never polite justice. Barbara Vine delivers the kind of justice that one dreams of but rarely ever sees. The last page of this novel is well worth the wait.

A word of warning to the readers who are squeamish around the subject of feeding the animals. The hawk belonging to Jed, Abelard, is especially fond of a certain delicacy that is very hard to envision without a lurching of the stomach. Not for the faint of heart!

On that note, if Ruth Rendell ever reads her reviews on Amazon, and she really should, I hope that they will serve as a justification for no imminent retirement from the world of writing. It would be so hard to live knowing that there wouldn't be another Barbara Vine novel to consume with my usual gusto!

This story is told quite brilliantly. All the characters are wonderfully drawn, and all are INCREDIBLY interesting. From Jed, the loner who lives on the top floor of the house and keeps his hawk in the garden. To Jarvis, the owner of the house who is obsessed by underground systems and is writing a book chronicling them. To Alice, the young mother who has run away from her humdrum life, leaving her daughter and husband behind. And then there is Tom, the busker who once aimed to study at a musical college, but is now content to play for the armies of people who walk through London's cavernous Tube. Then there is young Jasper, who, along with his friends, finds his thrills amid the bustle of the dangerous underground. And then, Axle. The enigmatic, strange man whom little is known about, and whose secret will cast shadows over all their lives.

The story is told brilliantly, as i say. All the charaters living in the old schoolhouses each have a different part in the story, and rarely do their own seperate stories interact, until the end. It is like watching several little planets revolving around the sun (in this story the sun is the london underground system). Their orbits do not cross, but still they revolve around the main body of the story, until they are finally drawn together.

Rendell skips between each persons's story (each persons story varies greatly) wonderfully, while the reader hardly notices the transition.

The climax is not completely unexpected, but i often find that that is the beauty of Vine/Rendell. You can sometimes see or tell what is going to happen, and you know that absolutely nothing any of the characters can do to prevent the inevitable awfullness.

At first i thought the ending was shocking, and powerful but anticlimatic. Then i realised it is shocking and powerful BECAUSE it is anticlimatic. (Rather like when we meet Hannibal Lecter...we are shocked by him because we were expecting a monster.)

I have read several Spenser novels chronologically starting with Mortal Stakes. This was my least favorite so far, but I still give it high grades. Parker is really stretching credibility in a story that boils down to a fight between two boys over a girl. It is a really big and complicated fight, and it involves mercenaries, gun manufacturers, CIA, FBI, so on and so on. But Parker somehow pulled it off. I can't help but enjoy the dynamic of Spenser, Hawk, Susan, et al. As with all of Parker's books, the strength lies in his characters.

Overall, it was an entertaining but not quite great book; it was just a little too farfetched to get a five star rating. But if you are a fan of Spenser, you have to read this book. It is of crucial importance if you are following the relationships and the development of the characters.

This is Robert B. Parker's best Spenser novel and best novel to date. Besides updating the hardboiled/film-noir/detective novel genre for the new age, it has always been clear to me that Parker, an English Professor who has taught at Tufts and Harvard, is also exploring the concepts of the Hero and the Heroic in our decidely un-heroic, if not anti-heroic, age. He does so masterfully here.

The book soars on many levels. Lovers of literature will not be disappointed with many obscure allusions--not the least of which being the title of the book. Action fans will find plenty of violence. Lovers of pithy prose and repartee will also not be disappointed.

Parker accomplishes the almost impossible: an exciting novel that manages to be literature at the same time. No mean feat, but he's been doing in for 30 years. If some of the later novels fall somewhat flat, e.g. Small Vices, Hush Money, Pale Kings and Princes, this book repays endless rereadings. And, since discovering it in 1987, I've read it at least a dozen times. It repays each new reading. Truly a book for a life time.

Having read all of Parker's Spenser novels -- and all but the first are very good or better -- this one is the best. It integrates all the familiar Spenser characters from earlier novels, even Rachel Wallace, sheds further light on the relationship with Hawk, and, most especially, on that with Susan Silverman, which is the subject of the esoteric title. It shows Spencer sensitive and suffering over the woman he loves, seems satisfying psychologically to me, although I'm not sure Susan would act quite as she did. But that's a quibble. This is Parker at his best, Spenser at his height, and a good, rip-roaring, cross-country adventure story to boot. I like God Save the Child and Mortal Stakes and Early Autumn and Small Vices very much. But if I had to take one Spenser book with me on a long, boring journey, this would be it.

David Nevin's historical novel, Eagle's Cry, covers the election of 1800 until the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 using the Madisons, the Jacksons, Aaron Burr, and a couple of fictional characters to tell his tale. The novel has a gripping beginning in the election of 1800 covering the tie between Jefferson and his vice presidential nominee, Aaron Burr. The book, unfortunately, loses some steam with the section portraying the Louisiana Purchase. It was not as tighly written and suspenseful as the election as it meanderend like the Mississippi itself through the lives of all the characters. It worked very hard for historical accuracy, and achieved it to a great extent, but sacrificed to history any element of surprise. The history was good but the drama suffered at times for that. Definately worth a look for the first half of the book and it is a good omen for the next book in the series as it will be dealing more with the behind the scenes Washington politics.

I find David Nevin's books very easy to read and enjoy. I loved 1812 and was not disappointed with Eagle's Cry. The story is of the Lousiana Purchase. The Madisons, Jefferson, Aaron Burr, Merriweather Lewis and Andrew Jackson are all in this story. They come alive and make the story. I have a friend who calls historical novels "cheap history." Enjoyable story and I can't wait for the sequel.

What wonderful timing David Nevin has had with this book. If you think our political times are crazy now (the election of 11/2000), take a dive into the politics of 1800-1804. Tomas Jefferson withstood Aaron Burr's attempt to gain the Presidency through chicanery and then set out to build a new nation based on principals different from the preceeding Federalist administration of John Adams. The book is written in first person which qualifies it as a novel, as no one knows the exact conversations that were actually held. Yet, the people, places, and actions are all historical and quite facinating. Mr. Nevin puts all the pieces of the puzzle together quite nicely and it all makes for a truly great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to Fortress in the Eye of Time. Fortress of Eagles is intelligently written, contains a good balance of humor and drama, and does a great job of continuing the characters' development from the first book. I recommend it to people who liked Fortress in the Eye of Time with very few reservations, though I'm not sure what someone would make of it who hadn't read that book. My only real complaint: too short. I almost got the impression it was the first half of a much longer book--the ending didn't quite feel like an ending. But I'll try to be patient and wait for the other books....

Once again Cherryh brings to life the idea of time as fluid, rather than set. Anyone who loved Fortress in the Eye of Time or her Morgaine series will love this book. I like how Tristan is a man, yet the opposite of Man. Where Man cannot physically shift through space, but can mentally remember the past and forecast the possible futures - Tristan has been brought physically from the past and has no mental history to easily remember and thus does not have the ability to forecast the future possibilities either. It is a fascinating juxtaposition, and fits well with his innocence and yet knowledge. The only reason I do not give this book 5 stars is because it does not really end, but continues on in the next 2 books. Without an end to look back from, it is difficult to judge.

This book follows the action of "Fortress in the Eye of Time" and marches forward into a new series of unknown length: "Fortress of Owls" and "Fortress of Dragons" follow, and it doesn't end there, so we may have to wait a year or two to get the ending! Fortunately Cherryh writes fast, and we probably will not have to wait as long as we will for the conclusion of Jordan's "Wheel of Time".

Without going into all the Cherryhshly complex history of the world, the situation at the end of "Eye" was pretty much like this. One of the chief protagonists is Cefwyn, newly the king of Ylesuin, his father having died in the course of "Eye". The political situation in his realm is something like 14th-century Britain or France: that is to say that he is not one of those absolute rulers of later centuries, but is trying to reign over a large number of largely autonomous lords who are continually plotting with and against each other and with whom he has to practically renegotiate his sovereignty every time he turns around. Across the river from Ylesuin is Elwynor, to whose young queen, Ninevrise, Cefwyn is betrothed. Most of her realm is in the hands of rebels hostile to Ylesuin, however, as a result of the sorcerous conflict recounted in "Eye". Cefwyn must unify his realm, wage war on the Elwynoran rebels, and restore Ninevrise to her throne. This task will take at least four volumes (depending on how many volumes will follow "Dragons").

Cefwyn's most loyal and problematic ally is Tristen, who is not "of woman born," but a "Shaping" created by Mauryl the wizard (now deceased), raised to adulthood in a few months' time, and still largely naive about the stuff of human life. Tristen is thoroughly good and innocent, but is likely to be the reincarnation of a dangerous wizard-lord of the past. Of course he has magic running out of his ears, and in "Eye" was mainly on hand to blast the evil sorcerous revenant Hasufin by indescribable means.

I read "Fortress in the Eye of Time" a few years ago, and am only now catching up with the sequels. I'll be very honest here: I didn't like "Eye of Time" all that much. The hero who is weak, the flawed, innocent, crippled hero, the hero who is not quite what we think of as human, the fool-as-hero: this is a common theme in Cherryh's work, but I found Tristen a bit overdrawn for my taste in "Eye". And then there is the whole theme of the newbie wizard who discovers how to defeat the powers of Evil just by Discovering Who He Is, without having to do any work hardly - a theme which is a cliche' in the Fantasy genre, and a cliche' which is just not to my taste.

In my view, however, the pace and tone of "Eagles" and the succeeding volumes (well, "Owls" anyway, which I've read) are much different from "Eye of Time", AND are an improvement on it. Gone is the breathless urgency of "Eye", punctuated by battles and megamagic attacks and wizards' duels. The pace has become MUCH slower, much more deliberate. Now we have embarked on a political and military campaign which will take months and months to complete in the world of Ylesuin, and several volumes (years) to describe in our own world.

And Cherryh is going to describe it all to us very painstakingly, making very clear to us all the considerations that King Cefwyn and Lord Tristen and their servants and vassals both loyal and treacherous are going to have to deal with. The complex loyalties of blood, state, feudal allegiance, and sect are going to be explained to us in detail. Of course anyone familiar with Cherryh knows that NOBODY does as well creating a complex world as she. We will also hear about their horses, their letters, their accounts, their grain, their boats, their weather. We are boating down a long, meandering river through a majestic landscape, as it were, and Cherryh is NOT going to spoil it by moving too fast.

Furthermore, the direct clash of wizardries has been pulled considerably back from center stage. Tristen's actions are now much more those of the Lord of Ynefel and Althalen than those of an incomprehensible sorcerous wild card, as compared with "Eye". He is more mature and more aware: still morally innocent, but much less alien to us. I find this an improvement. Cherryh's only flaw is a slight tendency to make her protagonists so convincingly alien that we can't identify with them or even understand what the hell they are up to. She avoids this in the Chanur/Merchanter volumes, but you see it in the "Faded Sun" volumes and "Serpent's Reach" for example. And there is a little of this in the Tristen of "Eye", but with "Eagles" we get a much more "reader-friendly" Tristen.

It comes down to a matter of taste. If you really really liked "Fortress in the Eye of Time", then you may not like "Eagles" and its successor volumes of unknown number nearly as much. They ARE different: much slower, less wizardry, less general weirdness, more political intrigue, more detail, and there's no telling how long the river is going to be. But these are exactly the reasons I like the successor "Fortress" volumes better. I appreciate the scope and precision of the work Cherryh is now undertaking. Its only drawback, I'm afraid, is that it's not done yet.