When I first read about the release of this product, I made up my mind I wasn't going to buy it. The price seemed unreasonable for a softcover supplement, and given the patchwork quality of the previous softcover releases ' It seemed like a waste'

Then I actually got to read it, and all that went out the window.

If you're running the realms- this will be a great add to the campaign world. More spells were a given, but here's the thing: They're actually useful! Amanuensis (A spell to transcribe magical writing in minutes rather than days) will soon be gracing the libraries of many a wizard. The clerical spells have some nice flair (a L1 healing spell for the faithful that cures 8HP plus a level bonus-nice! and they've finally given blunt weapons a keen-like enhancement spell, Weapon of Impact). Rangers, often thought to have gotten short shrift in the new D&D, get some good stuff in this book: spells that give their melee weapons +3 enhancements, and a spell that makes their next ranged shot critical, so long as it hits (I ask you, what ranger wouldn't want that?).

Of course, new feats are part of the package. The metamagic feats are mostly for panache (like the feat that allows you to give your spells a 'theme' which makes them harder for opponents to identify, but has few other mechanical benefits) but they still add to the overall feel of the realms play.

The prestige classes in this book are, in contrast with previous offerings, broad-based and allow for customization. Whereas there are few differing ways to play a Pale Master (from Tome & Blood), there are countless ways to play a Mystic Wanderer (a clerical prestige class, with a splash of the arcane) or the Mage Killer (a shadowy spellcaster who has a bone to pick with arcane types). With a campaign world as a backdrop, prestige classes can really explore their potential as world-building as well as character-building tools.

In the 'Places of Power,' chapter, we are introduced to ready-made settings for magic events in Faerun. A magical bazaar where PC mages can buy and sell magic, as well as participate in Mage Duels. The Mage Duel rules are a great idea, although the rules are a complete aberration with the core rulebooks (spellcasters are allowed counterspells without readying actions, for example). The dueling rules promote a free-flowing and non-lethal way for mages to settle their differences. However, since a duel is unlike anything that exists outside of the dueling arena it is unclear if it will serve as anything more than the thrill-seeking stunt that it currently is.

A chapter is devoted to explaining Faerun's peculiar magic backstory, which is useful for immersive campaigns and can serve as inspiration for spells, items and adventures alike. Rules for Gem Magic detail an expensive way for a magic user to store (and trigger) spells in gems-much like scrolls. Gem Magic increased cost (it uses gems, after all) comes with increased flexibility in use. A gem with a stored spell can be triggered when a certain creature approaches within 5', something a scroll cannot do.

All in all, the book is chock full of what you would expect, more magic for the Forgotten Realms setting. The book is gorgeous, in keeping with the FRCS' look and feel, and the text does not disappoint. If you play the realms, this one's a keeper.

I admit that I was worried when I purchased this book. Supplements such as Tome of Blood and Sword and Fist had made me leary of the paperback supplements that were being released for Dungeons and Dragons. After reading through the reviews here, I decided to purchase a copy.

The information presented was increadible. This had many of those things I thought to be lacking from the FR Campaign Setting Sourcebook: spell charts including the new spells (as a bonus it also includes spell charts for the prestige classes in the DMG, such as the assassin), actual descriptions of mythals and how the ones in certain areas behaved, and a great deal of additional information (such as Mage Duels, Magical Roads, and a Mage Fair) that I can apply to virtually any campaign.

The book itself, despite being a softcover, is absolutely gorgeous and has been done in the same style as the FR Camapign Setting Sourcebook. If it were hardcover, it would be perfect and well worth the price tag. As it now stands, it is a wonderful supplement to games both inside and outside the realms.

This simply is more meat, more flavor, for the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - and of exceptional quality.

MOF knows the importance of discussing the more aesthetic points of magic in the Realms, shows many intriguiging prestige classes like the Master Alchemist and Mage-Killer. It also has many spells and magic items that contribute to a true Realms feel, using the names and based on the history of powerful characters or events of that world. For example, powerful magic rings created for the great military commanders and soldiers of Cormyr, and new magical enchantments for weapons and armor such as Impact - a version of Keen that exists especially for increasing the critical damage potential of bludeoning weapons - and Magic Eating.

Highly recommended supplement to the FRCS that will see a lot of utility by both players and DMs who enjoy the high-magic world of the Realms.

Yes, it's a great novel. Yes the language is rich, the story is subtle, and the psychology is complex. And yet, I didn't like it.

Of course, who am I to review Henry James? Granted, I read more books and watch less television than most of my peers, but still I think I might be too "late Twentieth Century" for this book. Maybe despite my strict avoidance of video games I just can't help detesting the millipede pace of this book. I've never had much affinity for drawing room conversations to begin with, and unlike my father I don't believe that wit must be meted out in tortuous sentences.

But it isn't my background or personal prejudices that make me recoil from "Wings of the Dove". There is something about the deliberate quality of Henry James that bothers me. He knows perfectly well what he's doing with his fat succulent sentences. He won't feed you a meal of lean pork and vegetables. He'll serve you tons of tiny truffles and oil-oozing, crispy skinned duck.

To read "Wings of the Dove" is like encountering a cookbook that decided to include as much of the delicious fatty foods as possible. Of course its a rare meal and quite wonderful in its way. But some how, it made me a little nauseous at the end.

First things first, it is a very nice novel, but very hard to follow. Personally speaking, sometimes I couldn't get very exactly what Henry James was trying to say, but I could understand the situation as a whole and be able to move on.

As everybody knows, Hery James is not an easy writer. His appeal is very difficult and complex although it doesn't read very old-fashioned. The story is very interesting and timeless, because it deals with passion, money and betrayal. The books follows Kate Croy and her beloved Merton Densher when then both get involved - in different degrees and with different interests- with the beautiful rich and sick American heiress Milly Theale.

Most of the time, the book kept me wondering what would come next and its result and the grand finale. But, that doesn't mean I was fully understand its words. As I said, I was just feeling what was going on. As a result, i don't think I was able to get all the complexity of Henry James. Maybe, if I read this book again in the futures, it will be clearer.

There is a film version of this novel made in 1997, and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Allison Elliot and Linus Roach, directed by Iain Softley. Carter is amazing as always! Kate is a bit different from the book, she is not only a manipulative soul, but, actually, she is a woman trying to find happiness. One character says of Kate, "There's something going on behind those beautiful lashes", and that's true for most female leads created by James. Watching this movie helped me a lot, after finishing reading the novel.

Two responses to previous reviews: it was written one hundred years ago, so it would of course be somewhat dated. Second, you should perhaps READ THE ENTIRE BOOK before you attempt to review the text.

The text follows the fascinating development of a manipulation: Milly Theale, an American woman, enters the London scene, endowed with prodigious wealth, youth, and beauty, and several characters vie for her affection. It's a standard James plot in that way. Much like Portrait of a Lady, the wealthy American is exploited by her European acquaintances. Kate Croy convinces her lover Merton Densher to take advantage of Milly's interest in him, and to go so far as to attempt to marry the young American for her money. She is, after all, fatally and tragically ill. James brilliantly depicts the struggle between Densher, Kate Croy, her powerful Aunt Maud, the piquant Susan Shepherd, Sir Luke, and Lord Mark, and his characteristically enigmatic ending does not disappoint. James manages to breathe life into these odd characters in a way that so few writers can: his genius is for complex character, and this book embodies that genius at its height.

The trouble with the book, however, is that it does not qualify as a "light read." The pace is incredibly slow - deliberately slow, of course. It is a novel about decisions, and the development of those decisions constitutes the bulk of the novel. James's prose does lack the terseness of a Hemingway, but the latter writer often fails to capture the nuances that James so elaborately evokes in his careful prose.

James, like Faulkner, is not for the faint of heart. Some of his work is more accessible; readers in search of a more palatable James should look to Washington Square, What Maisie Knew, or his popular masterpiece, The Turn of the Screw. This novel does not fit easily into a category, and its principal interest is that very quality of inscrutability. It's not really a "British" or an "American" novel but contains elements of both. It's not "Modern" or "Victorian" but both. Originally published in 1902, it's also not easy to include him in either the 19th or the 20th century. He appears to be writing in both.

In short, then, it's not a light-hearted novel and the prose can be challenging at times. But I believe that the effort of reading this book is well rewarded.

I bought this book because I was intrigued with some of the titles of the "worst case scenarios". Some examples include:

How to: land a plane, hotwire a car, wrestle an alligator, escape from a sinking car, leap from a motorcycle into a car etc.

While some of these scenarios could address deep-seated fears in all of us (the sinking car gives me the willies), it was really fun to read some of these aloud at a recent gathering of friends because some of these situations are really absurd and funny. The author's intent was definitely not to be funny as he works to portray the survival procedures and information in a matter-of-fact way and gives his sources in the back of the book.

But really, how often are we likely to have to know how to manuever on top of a train and get inside (sounds like a movie) or leap from a moving motorcyle to a moving car? Other areas are definitely more practical--how to survive an earthquake or avoid being struck by lightning.

In some areas, I wonder whether the capsule information would give a false sense of security to the person in the situation. I have a private pilot's license but I don't see how a person can realistically expect to land an airplane with 6 pages of text and drawings.

So here is my advice--enjoy the book for what it is--a conversation starter and a source of some practical information.

I orginally purchased 4 of these books to give away to friends. A lot of the people I work with go traveling around the world on various adventures. I thought they could all use a copy of this. ...mainly because you never know. What if something they read in the book someday saved their lives?

I also purchased the book because they discribe situations that could easily happen in my hometown of Juneau, Alaska. These topics include: How to Treat Frostbite, How to Treat a Leg Fracture, How to Survive an Earthquake, How to Survive Adrift at Sea, How to Survive an Avalanche, How to Survive When Lost in the Mountains and How to Make Fire Without Matches. As you can see, this would be very valuable to anyone, who goes out exploring in our area to know.

There was only one item I didn't agree with: their comments on How to Escape from a Bear. First, they only address the black bear. Another very commonly run-into-while-hiking-on-a-beautiful-day kind of bear is the brown bear. And the way you respond to these different bears can make a difference. But, as an Alaskan, we already have these bear rules burnt into our minds.

I love this book! When if first came out, I bought a million copies and included it in the Christmas gifts I gave to my dearest friends. Well, okay, it was a few less than that. But, it was definitely a hit! As a therapist, I'm all the more amused because my practice is *full* of people whose lives are filled with catastrophic thinking. This is the *perfect* book for them, too. It's full of accurate, practical advice. "How To Escape From Quicksand." "How To Escape From A Sinking Car." "How To Take A Punch." 40 senarios in all. My favorite is the wonderfully descriptive, "How To Leap From A Motorcycle To A Car." "In the movies and in stunt shows," warn the authors, "these transfers are usually performed at low speeds, and in fact often employ the use of a metal step installed on one side of the bike or car, which allows the rider to step off while keeping the bike balanced. You are not likely to have this option." Serious stuff, but ultimately rooted in paranoia! It's a fun read. And, who knows, maybe you'll actually find this info useful some day! Unlikely, but you never know....

Written in a plainative style reminisicent of Hemingway, Caldwell does a fasinating job creating his characters who are all concerned only with themselves and seem to disregard the rest of their family because they only get in the way of their own individual happiness. The main focus of the story is on Jeeter Lester who is the father of the family living on an old piece of land that use to be part of his grandfathers successful tobacco plantation. The Lester family is currently poor and the Lesters must beg or steal to get a hold of any food. Their complete disregard for others can be shown through numerous events throughout the novel, such as Jeeter carelessly stealing a croker sack full of turnips from his son-in-law and running off and eating nearly the entire sack before returning to give the remains to his starving family. When reading this book it seemed to have the same feel as The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, but notably is more explicit which at times had me gasping. One instance of this is when Jeeter's mother is run over by a car and the family seems to pay no attention whatsoever to her laying dying in their front yard. Definately recommended read as it portrays an insight into a poor farming family of the 1930s coping with poverty, though perhaps a little twisted at times. But the twists and turns make it all the more enjoyable a read and I look forward to reading more by Erskine Caldwell in the future.

Written during the depression era, this southern classic uncovers the ugly side of southern culture steeped in poverty. Come along on Tobacco Road and view Jeeter Lester and his dysfunctional family. Jeeter, the patriarch of this poor excuse of humanity brings out the worst qualities that a man can possess. His ignorance, selfishness and stupidity are magnified to the highest degrees as he attempts to survive in a world that has long gone.

Erskine Caldwell has introduced us to a life of absurdity in the backwoods of the south. His characters are stereotypical charactures of poor southern whites. Some of them are grotesque in their appearance, greedy, selfish and totally shiftless. As much as you would want to sympathize with them, you can't. They are people who won't take responsibility for themselves and will put the blame on others. Jeeter and his son Dude are great examples of this mentality.

How then can this book be so good if it describes people so bad? In telling the story of Tobacco Road, we see another side of southern culture exposed. It is not pretty, genteel or noble. You see the ugly for what it is and affirm that this too is a part of life when people are reduced to extreme poverty. There is also humor in the story. The characters are not totally one dimensional but their naivite draws you to tears of laughter and maybe sorrow. Look into this world of southern culture where people cling to dreams long dead and allow themselves to remain stagnate on Tobacco Road. This is an excellent southern classic of a people long forgotten.

Tobacco Road documents the last days in the lives of Jeeter and Ada Lester, poverty-stricken and permanently befuddled sharecroppers living in rural Georgia during the Great Depression. Both a comedy and a tragedy, the book, almost a folk carnival of sorts, is hilarious and strangely uplifting from beginning to end. The tragic element, barely discernable but slowly advancing throughout the course of the book, strikes sharply and rapidly at the characters and the reader in quick lunges before vanishing again beneath the brilliant comic surface.

The novel has a archetypal framework: Patriarch Jeeter, dispossessed of his ancestral land, upon which nothing will now grow but broom sedge and scrub oak, perpetually dreams of bringing his dead and depleted soil to new life. While musing on his farm's infertility and future, and when not lusting after the women around him, Jeeter--father of twelve--is simultaneously preoccupied with ending his own ability to reproduce via self-castration. Like the Hanged Man of the Tarot, habitually procrastinating Jeeter is continually hamstrung and locked in the stupefying moment.

Caldwell is particularly cruel in drawing his female characters: simple-minded and otherwise beautiful daughter Ellie May has a disfiguring harelip; man-crazy, self-appointed preacher Bessie has a good figure but no nose (the other characters are fascinated with trying to see how far down her open-holed nostrils they can peer), the unnamed, silent grandmother is starved out by the other family members who will no longer acknowledge her; struggling, hungry and forward-looking wife Ada, who has not always been faithful, dreams only of having a dress of correct length and current style to be buried in; and twelve year-old child bride Pearl has lost the will to speak and sleeps on a pallet on the floor to avoid her adult husband's sexual advances. In contrast, Jeeter and handsome teenage son Dude are merely imbecilic, gullible, and grossly but unknowingly selfish.

All of the characters are God-fearing and largely well-intentioned towards one another, though uneducated and of extremely limited consciousness. Therefore, they are guiltless of malice if not of responsibility. In a scene which may offend some of today's readers, newlyweds Dude and Bessie accidently kill a black man and think nothing of it. But this blank, spontaneous indifference to reality and the reality of other people is what makes the book funny. The ancient grandmother meets a painful and grueling death through another careless accident with the car; Jeeter rudely discusses Ellie May's disfigurement with her without the slightest awareness of her emotional reaction; Bessie, perpetually in heat, nearly rapes unwilling, unresponsive, 16 year-old Dude; car salesmen gather to stare down Bessie's nostril holes and insult her; Jeeter attacks his son-in-law and steals the bag of turnips he walked has seven miles to buy; Ellie May masturbates openly in the front yard; the whole family gathers, tribe-like, to watch Dude and Bessie make awkward love on their wedding day; then communally destroy a new (and totem-like symbol of the modern, productive, urbanized world they will never be a part of) automobile within a few days due to recklessness and the family curse of being unable to respect and maintain anything.

Like many of the characters in Muriel Spark's novels, the cast of Tobacco Road are only vaguely aware, if aware at all, of themselves as moral, spiritual or ethical beings, despite the flimsy religious trappings around them. This lack of moral awareness "and the comedy that arises from it" is what fuels Tobacco Road. Caldwell has written the lightest of black comedies, and it is to his credit that he is capable of making the reader embrace and enjoy these occasionally vigorous lost souls, even as the reader senses there will be only grief ahead for all.

The universal success of Tobacco Road in 1932 (the novel was made into a long-running Broadway play, and a toned-down John Ford film) gave new, 20th-Century life to the country bumpkin genre, which in turn gave birth to the Ma And Pa Kettle films, the Li'l Abner comic strip, some of Tennessee William's short stories and plays, and classic American television series the Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction.

Despite the many ways in which sexual intentions go awry in the book, it has a natural, healthy approach to sexuality, as did Caldwell's next novel, God's Little Acre. In our age of political correctness and sexual lockdown, the book's vibrant, sexuality-as-a-given attitude is stirring.

Some Southerners, at the time of its publication and continuing through to the present, have objected to the book as an indictment of Southern culture and an insult to its people. This charge is groundless, as the book is clearly a soulful high comedy, and its characters strictly caricatures, which could easily be converted into present-day, inner-city poor, Californian migrant workers, Alaskan trappers, or a suburban blue-collar family with the same results, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or age. Ultimately, Tobacco Road is a novel which seductively illuminates and instructs while it seamlessly entertains.

Hats off to the University of Georgia Press for courageously rescuing Caldwell from oblivion, understanding his work in context, and bringing the best of his work to the public in these handsome volumes.

I picked up Keeper out of curiosity and was hooked from the first chapter. It read quickly, but not for lack of substance. The plot was put together well, leaving you guessing right up to the end. The characters, especially Kodiak, were not unbelievable supermen, and were susceptable to pain and anguish. Rucka's story of a young man doing an ugly job was a great one, and a great debut. It wasn't just a mystery/suspense story. It also handled an extremely sensitive issue with the professionalism of a seasoned author. I applaude him for that and rank him right up there with Robert Parker and Ross Macdonald. I am anxiously awaiting his next book, Finder, and hope for many more Atticus Kodiak novels

Given that the author was only 25 when he wrote this book, it's impressive for many reasons--not the least of which is his control of the characters (they're all highly original, particularly Bridgett, a PI unlike any other) and of the narrative. I've truly enjoyed the Atticus Kodiak series and recommend the books wholeheartedly.

You may have heard of Greg Rucka through comics. You may have read and enjoyed Detective Comics, Queen and Country, Whiteout, or Elecktra.

It's time to put the comics away, and read his Atticus Kodiak series.

These books are the best I've read in a long time. You hate and love the characters as if they were real people. Because he writes them as real people. Reading these books are almost like reading non-fiction. It has been years since I've been so engrossed with a series. I am dreading finishing the last one, because I know that will be it until he writes a new one.

What are you waiting for? Order them.You'll thank me for it.

This is a great book if you want to get familiar with a lot of tech (VB, ASP, MTS, SQL, etc) however it fails to mention an important road block until the 12th chapter.

MOST WEB HOSTS do not allow custom dll's!!! The one's that do charge a hefty hourly fee to look over your source code, test it, and then install it (not including the usual setup fee and monthly fee). If you colocate your own box or if you have a dedicated server somewhere, then this doesn't apply to you.

It's a great learning tool but I don't think it's practical to call it "Beginning". A much simpler shopping cart and checkout application written in ASP and using an Access backend would have been sufficient to learn the basic concepts behind a full blown ecommerce solution.

Reynolds steps you through how to make an online store. If youare thinking about web store internet startup, this book will get youthere. It covers both business and programming aspects of starting an online store. By the time you finish the book you will have a complete store which has SSL encryption for credit card transactions, a customer forum, a Search method for your site, Database management, etc. But it doesn't end there, Reynolds then shows you how to market your site and provide customer service. The book teaches you all the latest web technology like XML and CSS2. It also tells you how to get around common browser bugs in your programming. And like most WROX books, it is clearly explained and doesn't get too technical for the non-programmer.

I recommend that you read Beginning ASP 2.0 or 3.0 first, then dive right into this book.

The one downside is that the database management system (software for managing databases) required for examples is expensive to buy. And this software is necessary to get all the examples to work. However, someone experienced with another DBMS like Oracle 8, could easily tweak the code and get it to work. END

As an Internet consultant for almost 5 years, I'm often asked by Internet newcomers: "Okay, What do I need to take on/learn today; Networking? VB? ASP? SQL? Server-IIS? something else?". And since the answer is "Well, All of them of course.", people are still short a good way to start on each of those.

Well Wrox brought a very good book for those Internet startups (with Microsoft technologies). You will most definitely find an answers to all of your first questions on the How-To of an eCommerce web site.

Actually, the real title of this book would have been too long to fit since it does more than VB, ASP, SQL, and MTS. To my surprise, it also goes over Credit Card security with 3rd parties such as DataCash and CyberCash, it goes over simple Private/Public Key Pair, Order Pipeline, Hosting, Up-sell, Cross-sell, and even Marketing, + more.

Also, I have to admit that the coding used is well-formed, neat & clean, and extensive. I'm sure that the example would bring new content to some seasoned eCommerce expert as well.

Last but not least, if you are a complete newcomer in the programming area, you might want to consider having other book such as Beginning ASP 3.0, Beginning ASP Databases, Beginning VB6; at the same time than the Beginning eCommerce in case you are not sure of what the syntax means. Even though this book is pretty easy to follow, it also assume you have some programming knowledge (which can be overcome by those other books).

Good Job.

Overall, I thought Stone Fox was really good, but there were some parts I didn't like. I didn't like the fact that the story didn't tell much about Stone Fox's dogs. However, I did like that there were a lot of different descriptions about the harsh winter weather in Wyoming. I especially liked that there were a lot of details and I could picture what was happening in my mind. I liked how there were some funny parts like when Grandfather dressed up like a scarecrow. Stone Fox was so exciting that I couldn't stop reading until the end. My favorite part was when Little Willy carried Searchlight over the finish line and even won. I encourage many other students to read the book Stone Fox.

The story of Stone Fox was very interesting to me. My son was required to read this book for his summer reading list. The struggle that young people go through in life is sometimes overlooked. I feel that Gardiner focuses on the struggles. Willy has decided to save the farm and what he believes to be his Grandfathers life. In this story a young boy must make adult decisions. Willy could have easily let his Grandfather stay with someone else but he chose to care for him and perform the chores of raising a crop. These are very mature decisions made by a young boy. I could feel the love Willy had for his Grandfather as well as the love Searchlight had for Willy. Although the ending was sad it allowed us to view the reality of life. Some struggles end in death and not with happy endings. I would encourage people to read and look beyond the words on the pages. This book was intense with emotional moments that would bring tears to anyones eyes.

Stone Fox is a great book for all elementary students. It is about a ten year old boy (named little Willy) and his dog Searchlight. His grandpa is keeping a secret from him which is the cause of grandpa being sick. When little Willy finds out what the secret is he learns that he must get 500$ and fast. What luck, there just so happens to be a dog sled race going on and the prize money is 500$! When he enters he knows he must win and if he doesn't grandpa won't get better and their farm will be taken away from them. Little Willy feels very confident in himself, but the great Stone Fox is coming. He has never lost a race. Does he beat the great Stone Fox? Does grandpa get better? Do they keep their farm? Use my advice and read the book to find out.

Alistair Reynolds' sf-debut is first and foremost a fresh instance of the space opera genre. Space, time and species galore, in other words, and enjoyably so. Secondly the novel can be categorised as hard science fiction; Reynolds manages to ground his fantasies in believable science.

The story soars over space and time, telling us about scientist Dan Sylveste's obsessive interest in the ancient race of the Amarantin. Almost a million years ago a stellar event whiped them out of existence, and Sylveste is rather destined to find out why. His central storyline is interwoven with the exotic crew of the giant spaceship Infinity, ex-soldier Ana Kouri and some cloudy puppeteering forces that remain largely unseen.

Revelation Space is a debut, and a promising one at that. There are flaws, though. I feel that the story could have been told in almost half of the pages it takes Reynolds to do so. Furthermore the sheer scope of the plot makes it hard to keep all lines in the head.

But these are minor flaws. Revelation Space might not be a pageturner, but it does offer a gripping plot that keeps on satisfying a curious mind. Do not be surprised. Revelation Space ain't over till the space lady sings.

Revelation Space is a great first time effort at science fiction by Alastair Reynolds.

Much of why I liked Revelation Space was the way Reynolds created his version of humanity. Helped by science, humans have begun to evolve into different if not species then at least sub-species. And, this science rushed sub-evolution is propelled by culture not nature.

This is somewhat "Big" sci-fi with an archealogical bent pointing towards a mystery whose solution will influence mankind's future. In this way it shares a common theme with Engines of God by McDevitt, although Rev Space relies less on archealogy as substance in the plot.

All in all it's a fine sci-fi tale whose ending is a bit disappointing. No matter, with some strong characters (especially the two female protaganists) and nice attention to details, I enjoyed the read.

Alastair Reynolds' first book "Revelation Space" is well worth the read! Taking place far far in the future you have a story full of spies, cyborgs, aliens and all the hi-tech you can imagine. An epic that spans time and space, is truly thought provoking. The characters are well drawn and memorable. Easily, this novel would be considered "hard sci-fi" as it is in league with Gene Wolfe, China Mieville and Eric Nylund. In this story, one scientist named Dan Sylveste has made an arecheological discovery with far reaching implications of galactic proportions. As our hero Sylveste, closes in on the answer to the mystery of the disapperance of the Amarantin peoples, an assasin lies hidden ready to strike. The story moves along but gets hung up at the end with too many unanswered questions and begs the sequel (Chasm City). A must purchase. Enjoy... Makes you want to get an implant!

I enjoyed reading Chasm City. It's a fun and inventive tale of a future human settlement fallen on hard times, and a man who doesn't know his own mind. I will definitely continue to read Reynolds' books as they come out. Nevertheless, like Revelation Space, this novel has some narrative foibles that detract from its overall success. A first person viewpoint is justified by the story, but it causes the author some hangups when he has to relate information to the reader without making it clear whether the narrator is aware of the significance of what he sees. Then there is the extended diversion to visit Gideon (and, in flashback, the Calueche) that is of no importance to the development of the main story. The side trip ties in with Reynolds' overall worldbuilding and perhaps it will be important in the next novel, but here it sits like an undigested lump in the last third of the book.

It's also never made clear how the man seen in the last chapter of the book (and why the pointless framing device in that chapter?) became so much greater than the sum of his parts, which one would have thought was the point of the entire tale.

Neither of Reynolds' novels quite hold up to their promise, but both are worthy and worthwhile efforts.

I'll preface this review with this statement: I think that Alastair Reynolds is absolutely brilliant.

This is the first of his work that I have read. This story is told with great attention to detail, a tremendous insight to human nature, and plausible-yet-inventive scenarios. This is an author who understands the merit of keeping the 'science' in science fiction, yet he manages so with great subtlety.

What disappointed me about the manuscript are the choices that were made with the story; there are several intricate subplots that end abruptly, even shockingly so. It is this writer's opinion that the story would have been much better served by making different choices with the characters in a second book (or at least one more chapter).

That criticism aside, I enjoyed Chasm City so much I must admit that I immediately bought Mr. Reynold's other two books in hardcover on Amazon. The first 30 chapters are absolutely prolific, a perfect example of what modern science fiction should be.

While Chasm City may lack a little bit of the epic scale/harder sci-fi of Revelation Space, I still found it to be an enormously compelling read, and it really got tough to put down with about a hundred pages left. From an overall quality perspective, I put it right on par with Revelation Space, which I thought was terrific.

Although I guess it's really a subjective assessment, dependent on each reader's tastes/reading histroy, I disagree with those who thought Chasm City was slow. Quite the contrary, I thought Reynolds did an admirable job of moving the stories along at a brisk pace, revealing just enough information at each point to keep you hooked for what was to come. And even though there are some sharp plot twists as the book progresses, I never felt deliberately manipulated or "misled" by the author, which is really something I resent as a reader. (And which many authors are guilty of doing.)

Reynolds also did a superb job of telling two stories at once, and I was equally enthralled by both of the main story lines. Bottom line is that I'd highly recommend this book. Along with Revelation Space, it's one of the finest I've read this year.

By the way - Reynolds is a Brit, and hence, the third installment of this series, Redemption Ark, is being published June 27th in the UK, simulataneously as both paperback and hardcover. If you can't wait for it to hit stateside (like me), you can order it from the amazon.co.uk web site. You'll pay a little more for the shipping, of course, but I won't hesitate for a second to pay the premium. (If you like Reynolds or any other British writers, amazon.co.uk is a great place to find works that aren't yet - if at all - available in the states.)

I thought this was a great book! It was exciting and made me want to come back for some more. The story was very easy to follow. I would read this book over and over again and still not get tired of it. I thought the plot was especially good. Though there were many different characters in the same spot at times, I thought that the large amount of characters gave this book a twist. This story in particular is very interesting and is sometimes comical. It is about Robin Hood and his group of Merry Men hiding in Sherwood Forest from the Sheriff of Nottingham.Whenever the sheriff sends someone into Sherwood Forest to catch Robin Hood, the man either ends up converted to the group of Merry Men or he ends up running out of the forest with arrows whizzing by his head. I thought this was one of the best written books that I have read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book and has a thirst for knowledge.

Pyle's book is simply THE GREATEST version of the Robin Hood legend ever written (it is no wonder it has been in print for one hundred years). The poetic Medieval english is never too difficult for readers of a young age because the dialogue is stirring, a blood-rousing call to adventure with Robin and his merry men. Pyle perfectly captures everything that makes the Robin Hood legend still compelling today, without making the battles between noble Robin and the corrupt government of early England into a treacly, heavy-handed lesson in morals (unlike many of the books his contemporaries were writing).

This book is especially fun to read aloud; it was a popular read with the kids I babysat for in high school. (Plus, what kid doesn't dream once in a while of running away and living in the forest, hunting deer with longbows, and showing off in front of the damsel of his dreams by defeating the "bad guy" in a duel of broadswords?)

Who hasn't heard of Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest? In this book you meet them all - including the powerful Little John, courageous Will Scarlet, musical Allan a Dale, and sly Friar Tuck. Howard Pyle offers what is probably the most complete and best collection of Robin Hood tales. All the old favorites are included - Little John and his quarter-staff toppling Robin into the water, Robin winning the golden arrow at Nottingham's archery contest, and the Sheriff being outsmarted in numerous attempts to capture Robin. But these are just the tip of the iceberg - this book is chock-full of entertaining merry adventures.

The medieval setting is portrayed beautifully, including the vast gulf between the upper and lower classes of society, the corruption and greed of the nobility, and the hypocrisy of the medieval Roman Catholic church where religion has degenerated to mere outward rituals. Even the language is somewhat antiquated, which initially seems tedious, but persevere because you will soon find that this an enjoyable and essential addition that heightens the heroic atmosphere of the story. But the medieval setting is not presented without a social commentary - Pyle shows that the unbalanced social structure inevitably resulted in the oppression of the poor and weak. It is left to Robin Hood and his men to take justice into their own hands, and fight nobly for the cause of the downtrodden. Such justice is accomplished in a questionable manner, because the notion of robbing the rich to help the poor implicitly endorses civil disobedience. But the more important theme of seeking justice and maintaining truth and right is in itself a noble one. With Robin Hood, we find ourselves wanting justice, and being prepared to make unselfish sacrifices in order to achieve it. When justice is done, it is actually the greed and corruption of the nobility that has led to its own destruction and ruin.

But the real attraction of this gem are the enthralling exploits of Robin Hood and his band of merry men. Howard Pyle presents Sherwood Forest as a rather glamorous utopian world where feasting and song abound, where it is never winter, and where the ale rarely runs dry. Robin Hood clearly represents a form of hedonism, and in his company there is never a lack of action, adventure, or for that matter - ale. But it's not the beer that attracts us to Robin Hood, it's rather his bravado. There is no end to the accomplishments of muscles and mind, as he and his merry band outwit all comers by sheer physical skill in archery, wrestling, swordmanship, and quarter-staff combat, or by outsmarting them with deceit and disguise. To our delight, Robin's brawn and brains always come out on top at the end.

Howard Pyle's collection of Robin Hood's merry adventures is a classic that is constantly entertaining and exciting - one that you'll want to own and read over and over!