Customer Reviews (1)

Very Interesting...
This book contains two short novelas that are wonderfully well developed for their length.Both are surprisingly good and very different as well as original.Both are full of intrigue, and really caught my attention quickly.I have never encountered anything quite like them.I throughly enjoyed them, and would recommend them to anyone and everyone.Lee is a very accomplished writer with a vivid imagination and a talent for putting it into words.This was a book I picked up because I had nothing else to read and I couldn't have been more pleased with my accidental encounter with these two short Lee works. ... Read more

Product Description
Continuing the tradition of tales of terror from well-known contemporary writers, a premier collection of the year's finest horror stories includes contributions by Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Lisa Tuttle, Thomas Ligotti, Karl Edward Wagner, and Kim Newman. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

THE PICTURE SHARED IS NOT THE RIGHT ONE
Hey all, watch what you buy. This is the 2001 edition. The photos is edition 6 for 1995. By putting the wrong photo up, booksellers are confused. Check before you buy.

Not that good
Not strong and fast paced enough for me. I like quick stories that flow and catch your attention! Definitely more slow, perhaps "spooky" but not quite horror stories. If you can get it cheap, grab it for a few of the stories, but the editor didnt seem to be interested in keeping the readers attention so I wouldnt pay much more than a few dollars for this one. I have over 300 anthologies and didnt bother keeping this one.

A waste of time
The collection of stories in this anthology are pitiful not horrific.This book opens with 90 pages of an intro that provides a chronology of "events" for the genre for the year.An absolute waste of paper and ink.Neither interesting nor relevant to a good horror story.Finally the book opens with the first of "The Best New Horror", a triffling werewolf story that left me wanting.Better stories are told by 6-year olds.But I had faith and kept reading and was further disappointed by the quality of the stories that followed.Don't waste your time, your money or your shelf space.This book is not worth any of them.

Our Temporary Supervisor
Ligotti's "Our Temporary Supervisor" is undoubtedly, along with "First, Catch Your Demon" story in this anthology.It has perhaps the most pessimistic backdrop of any story that I've ever read.It is Kafkaesque, surreal and exceedingly creepy."First, Catch Your Demon" is about a half woman/half scorpion who seduces a man in a drugged out/mystical fashion? The story is written in a style that I've never seen the like of, perhaps only Nabokov or Bernhard.

Fine selections
Here is my personal favourites, notes and brief comentaries about them :

Harvest - Norman Partridge - 8,5 - A little gem

Sometimes in the Rain - Charles Grant - 10,0 - A moving and wonderful ghost story !!

Dead Orchards - Ian R. Macleod - 10,00 - Beautiful piece of decadent writing, one of the best.

The Temptation of Dr Stein - Paul J. Mackauley - 9,00 - Excellent historical mystery

Waywang Kulit - Gary Killworth - 10,0 - By far the most original tale in this collection

The Scent of Vinegar - Robert Bloch - 9,5 - Black humour in Bloch's manner, very funny.

The Homecoming - Nicholas Royle - 9,5 - Mixes social realism with Cthulu Mythos

The Singular Habits of Wasps - Geoffrey Landis - 9,0 - Excellent steampunk adventure featuring Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

To Receive is Better - Michael Marshall Smith - 9,0 - Intense and depressing story about a mutiltaed boy.

The Alchemy of Throat - Brian Hodge - 10,0 - Another wonderful piece of decadent writing ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

wonderfully dark but very serene
I found this book to very wonderfully detailed, Tanith Lee's words easily paint a picture in your mind. Although her writing is a bit dark it is very good and I would highly recomend it. She has become one of my favorite authors since I read this book and I continue to read her works. I have found that it became hard to put down her books once I start reading them, I found this true especially with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
In this collection of fantasy, science fiction and horror stories, the witch, the vampiress, the femme fatale and the vengeful goddess spring to life. ... Read more

Product Description
Fantasy novel from Tanith Lee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Goth goddess in a seaside town
This is one of my favourite books by Lee. When I picked it up to refresh my memories last night, it drew me in all over again. The story is set in modern-day England, and the action takes place in London and in a decaying seaside town in the chilly off-season. Under this drab surface, ancient mythic currents are moving.
Hesta is rather a typical Lee heroine, a cool, wilful and somehow alien teen (comparable to Esther in Days of Grass). She is humanised by her friendship with Janey and with Janey's mother Lulu, who provide a refuge from Hesta's bitter and self-absorbed mother. When mother and her lover push Hesta too far, she takes an offhand revenge and leaves.
The first half of the book is jumpy, with settings and characters changing just as we've gotten interested in them. Hesta first takes shelter with a group of young squatters, whose stories and names echo classic myths. She leaves them behind as she seeks the mystery of her own role in this society, where she seems to be already known, loved, and provided for.
In the last part of the book the characters from the opening come back to importance. Hesta's mother and her lover track her down, and many things are sorted out. Even the ghost convertible has a part to play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great conclusion to a series that should be one book
Thankfully Biting the Sun is now out as a combination of both books, but as a stand-alone book this one is quite good. Where last we left our nameless protagonist she (or he) had been to the desert and came back with a real honest-to-goodness tragedy (dead pet) and a severe disappointment in her (his) attempt to gain adulthood through childbirth. As this book begins the protagonist is a man trying to look like a Byronic figure. She (he) is up to her (his) old tricks but there's something missing. Spending most of her time in the history archives, she challenges her friends to duels and attempts to make life bearable.

THe story changes when Danor returns and the two become lovers. Soon she is exiled into the desert and this is where the meat of the story happens as she (now only a she) first fights to stay sane in the loneliness, but then becomes accustomed to the solitude enough to weed and built her own garden.

Ultimately the rebellion that the protagonist effects takes the form of growing up and accepting responsibility. In a world ruled by robots, where all danger is over and all responsibility and maturity is gone, the one rebellion that a person can take is to throw off the shackles of permanent parenting. In a reversal of the Garden of Eden story, the city represents childhood and the garden represents maturity.

Book Two: Life Outside of Four Bee
"Drinking Sapphire Wine" isn't as good as the first book in this series, basically because the protagonist is stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing going on except creating a new Garden of Eve while trying to keep out straying desert creatures (similar to the ones in the Unicorn series) and Jang at the same time. I think this sequel really put a damper on the whole storyline. That's mainly why I gave it a 2 / 5 score.

I would certainly recommend the first book ("Don't Bite the Sun") over this one. But if you liked this book, then I would recommend the combined edition of these two novellas: "Biting the Sun".

If you're looking for a really good sci fi novel, though, then I would highly recommend "The Silver Metal Lover" by the same author, which is one of the best books I have ever read.

One of the most fabulous and human stories I've read
It's one of the best sci-fi books i've read, dealing with the human problems of who and what you are, and most of all, the meaning of life and it's purpose. It's also a sad story (and of course, coming from Lee, romantic).

Tanith Lee's Finest, and More
This is one of Lee's shortest novels, but perhaps the most original, which is saying a lot. Instead of mythic fantasy, this one's set in the distant future. The exploration of human feelings and development is brilliant. Itdoes remind me of Moorcock's /End of Time/ series, another favorite ofmine.

This is certainly the most readable of her novels, which sometimestake more mental work to keep up with the elaborate descriptions of herrich worlds. They still exist here, but are conveyed more accessibly. ... Read more

Product Description
In the first of these two works, a stolen chalice brings misery to those who covet it and in the second, a priestess decides to pursue the thief of the sacred relic of her people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

something rare and special
These are spectacular works of fiction, well written by a master.
The novella form is peculiar in modern literature: too long for a short story and too short for a novel. Lee deftly handles the length--these works could be used to teach pacing. I first read them when they were originally published, and have read them many times since.There is something of the archtype in each one, something of the ancient fairy tale that will stick with you ever after. If the fantasy genre is "mind candy" then this is rich chocolate.

Good, but not her best work
I liked the stories and I thought the plots were fairly original and as usual the twist ending but I got bored.I think that they both should have been shorter.If you haven't read any Tanith Lee, I wouldn't start here,instead read The Flat Earth novels 1st they are absolutely fabulous!

Two richly textured fantasy worlds in one book.
"Companions of the Road" and "The Winter Players" are two quite different but superbly crafted fantasy novelettes.Both feature sympathetic characters and compelling stories, and the endings of both are satisfying and not easily predictable.I particularly liked the twist at the end of "The Winter Players." ... Read more

Product Description
To a distant corner of France comes Christian Dorse to claim his inheritance and to prepare himself to surrender to premature death. But Christian is near to the forest where the de Lagenays live, a mother and son that both servants and village people mysteriously avoid mentioning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Tanith Lee's Take on Werewolves
Lycanthia is Tanith Lee's take on werewolves.It's the story of Christian Dorse, a terminally ill man who inherits an old chateau with a history.Nearby the old place is the mysterious woods where there exists more than just trees.It doesn't take long for Tanith Lee's hero to become seduced by the legend of the Lagenays.It's a small world for Christian as he finds he is linked to the Lagenays by more than just proximity.Dark secrets abound in this gothic, erotic world.The characters of Gabrielle and Luc prove quite real and add to the tale's unique touch of mystery.If werewolves, exorcisms, and erotic horror interest you, then pick this one up. I enjoyed this read and intend to continue reading Lee.Her style and unusual remastering of old ideas makes the normal seem somehow more alluring than before.

Tanith Lee at her best
This is one of my favorite of Lee's books. It's about werewolves, wildness and the seduction of innocence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This book is an anthology of twenty short stories, each something of a retelling of a classic fairytale. The stories are all very well written, with the leadoff story being written by the sensational Tanith Lee. As a matter of fact, my absolute favorite story is Tanith Lee's reworking of the story of Repunzel.

These stories run the gamut between humorous and upsetting. Some of the storylines are too much for young children, but none are unnecessarily violent or sexual. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of these stories, and I recommend it without reservations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

..., Sultry, Vibrant
There is something about the prose of Tanith Lee.You are swept into what ever world she feels like showing you.THe narrators and/or central characters seem alive.So much so, you can feel there is something they are keeping back, some vital clue, some revelation of soul.It's nearly palatable.
She sets depth of place, there is a real sense of being there.I felt like I was in Florence, in the midst of some twisted Carnivall. Or maybe in the mirror of one of the great European Palaces, seeing it from inside the flame of a candle.
The stories warrant being read several times, to absorb the majesty.

The Book of the Beast
Much better than the first book, this one is coherent and riveting.Told out of sequence, yet in perfect logical order, this is the tale of a family haunted by a tragic demonic curse.There are enough shivers and surprises to satisfy even a long time fantasy/horror fan.

Tanith Lee has found a theme in the twisting of sex and horror, so the book not for the innocent or prudish, but there's less emphasis on shock value than the previous book in the series (The Book of the Damned).What is emphasized is good storytelling - few can touch her when she's at her best.

a dark fairytale
The story begins with Raolin Darksbane. He is staying in a haunted house, and he meets the ghost and learns her story and then becomes infected himself with the curse. The story then follows the exploits of a jewish exorcist and goes back to Roman Paradys where the curse begins. The story goes forward and then it goes back. I liked the story of the "doomed" Heloise and her strange destiny, intricately linked with the story of cupid and Physche and what happens if you look closer at things that you are not supposed to look at. I also liked the story of the roman soldier, his dilemma between looking life and destroying the curse once and for all. Great descriptions, you could almost hear the trumpets at the roman fort as the Roman soldier stayed up and awake to await the beast. The ending seemed rushed to me, the exorcism seemed like the easy way out and the spirituality of it left me tired and lost. But a good story.

My personal favorite of this series
Moving back and forth in time and yet appearing timeless, this chapter in the world of Paradys has Jewish exorcism, sex-incarnate beasts, Romans and doomed lovers. Every element is precise and every part connects to theother parts with a beautiful serendipity.

If you noticed that the otherreviews of this book are brimming with fantastic prose and wonderousmetaphors, it is because the fairy-tale inspired style of Tanith Leeinspires her readers to greater heights of passion than other novelists.

I also like the fact that the Jewish scholar saves the day. Why should thepriests have all the fun in exorcisms? Jewish mysticism is much more funthan Catholic mysticism any day.

Emerald and amethyst horror...
Raoulin, a young student in 18-century Paradys, the Paris of an alterate world full of complex and twilight mystery, has a flexible mind. When he discovers that his lodgings are haunted by a beautiful, green-eyed womanclaiming the name of a girl ten years dead, he is hardly surprised. Thesurprise comes later, when a tryst with green-eyed Helise leaves himinfected with the curse of a monstrous beast, half bird and half lizard,whose possession turns his eyes green and drives him mad. Thus begins thesecond book of the Paradys Tetralogy, a tale as intricate and dark as itspredecessor, and fully as excellent. Unlike others in the tetralogy,"The Book of the Beast" is a full novel unfolding in nine linkedstory-chapters, further subdivided into "The Green Book: Eyes LikeEmerald" and "The Purple Book: From the Amethyst." (Readerswho have completed the entire tetralogy may notice that the entire colorwheel, primary and secondary colors as well as black and white, arerepresented in the titles and themes of the stories.) "Eyes LikeEmerald" deals with the characters of the present time, includingRaoulin's dilemma, Helise's own tragic history, and the efforts of a Jewishscholar and his sorcerous daughter to defeat the beast and save Raoulin."From The Amethyst" looks back to Paradys' origins as the Romantown of Par Dis, where the centurion Retullus Vusca received from amysterious courtesan a talisman that would change his life and the lives ofhis descendants forever. Present in all times is the beast, bird-headed andlizard-scaled, a malevolent demon whom neither steel nor sorcery candestroy.

"The Book of the Beast" deals with the full range ofdarkness, both personal and atmospheric, and thus much of its story meritsthe name of true horror. Yet it is never repelling-or, if it is, it is arepulsion that intrigues the reader to look closer. The method in whichTanith Lee chooses to tell her story is involved and works extremely well;she frames the past in the present, almost in flashback style, allowingeach chapter to focus on a different character until the various storiescoalesce in the final pages. Thus the reader learns of the shadowy originsof the beast before doomed Retullus Vusca does, and knows stories of fruitless defenses against its power before Haninuh the Scholar and hisdaughter Ruquel attempt to combat it. What makes this style work is thatnothing is given away; the stories are braided so tightly that all of thevarious pieces of information interlock perfectly, finishing in asurprising and stunningly executed conclusion. Although Tanith Lee createsher characters from the outside, allowing them to reveal more aboutthemselves through speech and action than she does by transcribing theirthoughts, there is little difficulty in identifying or sympathizing withany of them. Altogether, "The Book of the Beast" is a fascinatingread, tantalizing the reader into this tangled world of darkness, andcarrying the narrative unflinchingly through the darkness and into thelight. Do not let the world of Paradys slip through your fingers. Thedarkness beckons with emerald in its eyes and amethyst in its hands. Do youanswer? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Beautiful!
I would give this book a million stars if I could! Tanith Lee can not be beat for fantasy. Lord Azhrarn is simply one of the most amazing characters ever created. He is the Prince of Demons, as full of evil and shadows as the night, but his evil is subtle, seductive, and beautiful. The pain he inflicts is a pleasure, mortals his toys to play with, break, grow tired of and forget. The other Lords of Darkness have their charms, but you will find yourself waiting as if for a lover for the reappearance of Azhrarn. In Death's Master and Delusion's Master he shows us he is worthy of our adoration, but as is his way he is folded up in his cape as eagle's wings, and once again gone with a sparkling flash of his night colored eyes. If you have never read Tanith Lee before BUY THIS BOOK! It has mature subject matter, but that didn't stop me from reading it when I was 15 and falling completely in love with Night! All three of these books are sort of connected. Night's Daughter is the sequel, but centers more on Azhrarn's daughter, but he is in it enough to make it nearly as gorgeous.

The Beginning of Tanith Lee's Silmarillion
This book includes the first three of five novels that eventually came to be known as the Flat Earth Series. The first is Night's Master, the second is Death's Master, and the third is Delusion's Master. It does not include the fourth novel, Delirium's Mistress or the fifth Night's Sorceries. On one level the books have the scale of Tolkien's Silmarillion since they tell the history of this planet over many thousands of years, back when it was flat. However, the style is somewhat different. Whereas the Silmarillion is supposed to be an ancient document that reads like an ancient text, the Flat Earth Series is told by a storyteller who is trying to entertain. This storyteller speculates, embellishes, and fabricates at times to keep the stories interesting. At another level the novels seem to be a series of related short stories. They are not however really about the humans in the stories who can't live long enough to make it through the books anyway. Rather they are about a small group of unusal beings who interact with humankind intermittently-immortals known as the Lords of Darkness. The novels in this volume introduce three of these beings, Azhrarn who is Prince of Demons, Uhlume who is Lord Death, and Chuz who is Lord of Madness. Presumably these immortals, the Lords of Darkness, are created out of the collective unconscious of human beings (at any rate, at least Azhrarn and the demons are). They are distinct from the gods, who created humans but now consider them to be a mistake, and therefore don't want to be bothered with them. The first novel tells of some problems that Azhrarn accidently causes humanity and of his efforts to save humankind. The second tells of the Lord of Death's interaction with a human woman who eventually takes over his position as Lady Death. The third tells of the attempts of the Lord of Madness to play a trick on Azhrarn by contriving to get him to fall in love with a half-human woman. The death of the woman sets the stage for the remaining novels (not included). The child born of the union with the woman becomes Delirium's Mistress and is the main character in the fourth and largely final volume. This novel resolves the conflicts created by Chuz and includes a war with the gods, who have decided to be angry because Azhrarn kissed one of them on the eye at the end of the first novel. Night's Sorceries, the fifth, is basically a collection of short stories about events in Delirium's Mistress that were apparently left out of that book to make it shorter.

The novels are carefully and beautifully written and display a delightful sense of humor. However, they could appear long-winded and tedious if the reader just doesn't get into the humor, which involves to a large the degree the manner in which the stories are told. The stories are full of unusual turns and surprises. For example, the storyteller takes the time to explain how cats were created out of snakes. Even an additional Lord of Darkness is introduced in the last line of the fifth and final novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Born a slave, Dekteon knows his life's course is grimly predictable. But, while escaping his Lord's hounds, he finds himself drawn into a strange world. There he meets Zaister, the consort of the Moon King, who, like all royal consorts, is destined by tradition to die an early death. To save himself, he has used his magic powers to draw Dekteon to him, and change their identities - Zaister becomes Dekteon, and Dekteon, Zaister. Despite being in Zaister's body, Dekteon retains much of his own personality, and, slowly, begins to win the heart of Izvire, the woman Moon King. Just before her husband is due to be killed, Izvire schemes to save him, at great risk! But Dekteon knows that if he permits this to happen, Zaister, in his own body, will be condemned to the fate of a slave. And so he hatches a plan which will save them both ...First published in 1977 by Macmillan London Limited. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful and brilliantly written
'East of Midnight' is quite an underestimated book, but when I first saw it on my cousin's bookshelf I knew it was special. It presents concepts and ideas little thought of in any time or place, even fancifully, and in a manner which draws you in with the reality of it all. Beautifully contrived with a flowing plotline, 'East of Midnight' is a book you'll want to read from start to finish. I was, in fact, nearly run over by a car at the airport in a rather stupid attempt to cross the street with my head buried in the book. Be careful not to let this happen to you, as anyone who reads it is liable to fall under the book's woven word tapestry of a spell and do some fairly unintelligent things with their head stuck in the clouds. The concepts in the book are thoughtful and mature, but the book itself is an easy read. I recommend this book to anyone.

"It Died Eight Times My Love. After that, Love Stays Dead.."
Tanith Lee once again proves herself a master of Young Adult fantasy with this wonderful (but apparently little known) story of the battle of the sexes. Set in a gloriously created world where women ride horned lions and rule over mankind, "East of Midnight" is a book that is easy to read, yet raises a range of questions on the differences between man and woman and the way in which we interact with each other.

At the beginning of the story, Lee herself writes where the inspiration for it came from: "Old legends have it, before men were kings, women ruled large areas of the world. They were as powerful and ruthless as any of the man-ruled states which came after. Indeed, the harshness of men towards women in many early societies was, they said, due to the cruelty the female societies - matriarchies - had already displayed toward men.

"And so what happens if a young man from a male-dominanted world gets thrown into a world of matriarchy? Fascinated by this thought, I set out to explore the whole thing in this novel."

Dekteon is a young runaway slave who is miraculously saved from his former master when he's transported into another world by the magician Zaister. But things are not quite as simple as that. Zaister is the husband and consort of King Izvire - the stunning woman who rules over a matriarchal city. Every five years she takes a new husband - because the former one must be sacrificed in order to ensure the natural balance of the world.

Zaister has long plotted his escape, and his rescue of Dekteon (who is his double in another world) was merely so the two could switch places. Now whilst Zaister finds that freedom in Dekteon's world is not all it's cracked up to be, Dekteon finds himself amongst the beauty of Zaister's world with only a month left to live before he's sacrificed.

But Dekteon does not have the same fear of women ingrained in him that the rest of the men of this world do, and begins a campaign against them that no once else would dare. Up against Izvire, his mother-in-law Kyrast and his daughter Vesain, Dekteon attempts to escape his death-sentence and stop the needless deaths of the king's consorts.

The story races along on every page, being continually colourful, fascinating, exciting and nerve-wracking as the countdown to Dekteon's death creeps closer. Lee not only vividly describes the matriarchal world where women are dominant and men subservient, but takes a deeper look at what makes these opposing genders tick. Far from taking the women's side, Lee portrays them as hard, merciless and sexist rulers, who nevertheless feel true remorse and loneliness when their husbands are killed. There are no true good-guys or bad-guys here.

The men Dekteon and Zaister are our main protagonists, and have very different views on women and how they are to be treated by them. Though by the end of the story Zaister gets away with far more than he rightfully deserves, together their attitudes form an insightful way of looking at the world and the roles of men and women.

"East of Midnight" is a rich, exciting, poignant read that deserves more recognition than it appears to have. With strong and realistic characters, a beautiful visual landscape and a problematic situation that can be overcome only by the two sexes working together, this is in every particular a great book.

A young adults book
I love this book, and have read it several times.It is about two worlds, one of them ours, in the days of slaves.The other a world where women are dominant.It flicks back and forth between the two.It was an incredibleread, I thoroughly recommend reading it if you can get your hands on acopy.I think Tanith Lee is a great childrens writer. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of fantasy writings. ... Read more