Product Description
Batman strikes fear in the hearts of criminals, but there’s a killer stalking Gotham who’s even better at inspiring fright–and his method just might be unbeatable . . . because it’s invisible.

Unbeknownst to the general public, a powerful new designer drug has hit the streets of Gotham, courtesy of an evil genius determined to turn the expression “scared to death” into lethal reality. Unlike the Caped Crusader, who petrifies only villains, this mastermind is targeting decent citizens–and he’s come up with the ultimate delivery system. After all, the public can’t refuse something they can’t see, hear, or smell. That’s the beauty of a terror toxin that is undetectable by the human senses. And with all of Gotham’s super-villains incarcerated, Batman must hunt down a mystery madman about whom he knows nothing.

Maybe the Dark Knight should be afraid . . . because there’s plenty to fear when you go head-to-head with fear itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Pages of Terror
There is a tremendous focus on the horror genre in this novel tie-in to the 2005 film, Batman Begins.

A writer of horror novels is losing readers and market share, which is not a healthy combination to hold onto a career. Enter the Scarecrow, who has a concoction to keep readers frightened until their bitter end. And add to the brew a news reporter - Maggie Tollyer - who is quietly lurking like a cat while on the trail to solve the macabre mystery of a deadly terror for book readers and Batman/Bruce Wayne, who both must "Trust the Night" to solve the crime contained in the pages of terror.

The action develops slowly - and, at times, the text reads like a movie script - but it ultimately builds to a conclusion that emerges out of the deep shadows that haunt the soul.....no matter if one is a superhero or despised villain.

Be afraid; be very afraid...of bad characters
I will not claim to be a Batman expert.I have only seen the old Batman - The Movie movie (absolutely hilarious!), the new Batman Begins, and the 80's version of Batman.The biggest reason I even thought about reading this book was that it was written by Michael Reaves, whose Star Wars books I have read and enjoyed.I was a little shocked to see that it actually had a co-author since the only place you even see his name is inside the book, but I tried not to let that keep me back.
A runaway train causes Batman to race to the scene to stop an impending crisis.Thinking he would find terrorists at the wheel or a dead driver at the least, Batman is surprised when the woman is actually alive but cowering in tremendous fear.So the Dark Knight (along with Maggie Tollyer, a well-known journalist) begins the search to find out why the driver suddenly developed a phobia and who is behind all the attacks.

Good:
Batman/Bruce Wayne and his "gentleman's gentleman", Alfred Pennyworth, are very much like their movie counterparts from Batman Begins (I have seen this one more recently and frequently so I will compare only to this one).Several times, I could see Michael Caine's reaction to Bruce's discoveries as penned in the book, or imagine Christian Bale performing the moves in a fight scene, or hear Gary Oldman speak as the police chief, Gordon.And Jonathan Crane as the Scarecrow was very well done.In these characters, the author(s) did a superb job capturing the qualities seen in the movie versions.Very impressive (and convincing!).
Furthermore, once the story gets going (about page 100 or chapter 7), it is fast paced.There are few dull moments and lots of Batman action.Several times, I could almost see the action as if the book were a movie or a TV show.

Bad:
Let's start with characters: Maggie Tollyer.Here's an independent, sassy, attractive, obstinate, sexy journalist (who was described as "tall" in the first chapter but then as "petite" when parading as Catwoman--which is it, guy(s)?) that just happens onto the scene of the crime.Is this ever explained?No.Then, she steals (yes, steals) a novel from the crime scene and instantly assumes that the book was the cause of it.That was sure fortunate.Then, this, to quote a character in the book, "annoying" woman parades through the rest of the book, crashing parties, forcing interviews, investigating the Undertown in sexy black leather, giggling with a pimp (what inappropriate timing!She could get shot any moment!), and forcing Batman and Grey to rescue her.I have one question: Why?Why must all these stories have some super independent woman that looks great in a Catwoman costume or in sexy black leather clothes (which, may I add, I saw coming a mile away) who falls in love with Batman?Gag me!
Other characterizations (besides Bruce Wayne and Alfred) were not much better.Cutter is one of the most pathetic characters ever with his Sally Sob-Story.I could practically recount his biography just by the descriptions the authors (since Michael Reaves shared the pen in this one) gave them.And I was infuriated when the author(s) gave this character a gun.Cutter has never before held a gun then buys one for the heck of it?He doesn't even know how to shoot for Pete's Sake!He's more likely to shoot his own foot than kill someone.
And then Grey Berwald is absolutely all over the board.This guy had the potential to be really interesting and I tried to like him, but the author(s) foiled me each time.The fact is, Grey Berwald is probably bipolar (Bruce Wayne mentions this fact in the book, though flippantly).One minute, he's shy and sophisticated; the next, a boisterous Texan.And his "let's make friends with Bruce" scene really made my eyes roll.
Then, character interactions were completely bonkers.Firstly, "off-screen" (as it is never shown), Grey Berwald asks Maggie on a date.That sudden revelation threw me for a loop.Previously, Maggie had been pressing Grey Berwald for information (namely him saying he likes controlling people's emotions).So why would Grey ask her on a date?And then Grey shows his date his scare room and is surprised when she is freaked out by it (oh, I don't know, maybe because it is the first date after all).And then, Maggie starts grilling Grey again.Huh?
Then, Maggie and officer go trudging through Undertown (in sexy black leather trying to be inconspicuous *eyes roll*) and run into a pimp.As he is trying to sell his wares, the police officer (and Maggie for that matter) is just a hair's breadth away from bursting into giggles.I am sorry, but if Undertown is as dangerous as the author(s) have let on, I for one would not be holding back giggles; I would be keeping all senses alert for a possible ambush.
Second, 86 pages into the book I realized I knew about the same amount as I did 20 pages into the book.The driver got so paranoid that she couldn't do her job.Check.Chemicals weren't in the atmosphere or in her blood.Gotcha.She did read a horror novel before setting out.Uh huh.So, why does it take 80 pages to tell this over and over?And, I continued along, it really doesn't change as you proceed through the book.Not much is actually learned.A lot of scenes are dedicated to Gag-Me Maggie, brain-dead Cutter, and flip-flop Grey, but not much is accomplished in that time.It gets to the point when you wonder if the author(s) weren't sure how to proceed so threw a bunch of stuff in your face, hoping you will be distracted long enough until he (I mean, they) figured out what to do next.And the bad guy at the end?Well, let's just say you know who it is from pretty much page 1 and just spend the rest of the book figuring out how he did it.
Other quibbles:
1. The conclusion is much too perky given what happens in the end.
2. The "scare" rooms in Grey's basement are mind-boggling and following the action in them is nearly impossible.
3. Every time you turn around, words like "benison" (said to be "archaic" in the dictionary), "frisson", and "inveterate" crop up.And then words like "forfend" (is if "offend" or "forbid"?) appear.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Expect da**, he** and the like in the dialogue arena (with mentions of characters shouting unwritten obscenities).
Bruce Wayne pretends to be a playboy.Maggie and an officer go to Undertown and run into a pimp who tries to sell his wares.
Batman intervenes in a gang war.The exploits of the likes of the Joker and other criminals are alluded to.Gang members draw knives and shoot guns.A gang member dies.

Overall:
So what do I think of this novel of the infamous Dark Knight?Well, if the movies that I mentioned above were any indication of the Dark Knight from the comics, then this Batman stays very true.I can easily see Christian Bale (or Michael Keaton) slipping into the Batman of this story and being very comfortable.On the other hand, the story was a little flaky, the characters other than Batman and Alfred lame, and the writing clunky.I would probably never read it again (though it did have a Star Wars reference) and would only recommend to those who are very fond of Batman and have no trouble ignoring the issues I had with the book.

Brought to you by
*C.S. Light*

Fear Itself
Ok so this book took a little to get in to. After about the first Hundred pages or so you really start to wonder about who the bad guy was in the book. Yea it deals with feel and at first thought your thinking the scarecrow but the author does a good job to make you think. I guess I am too much of a Batman fan but I enjoyed this book.

The Horrifying Horror Genre
Novels based on characters from comics and mangas have become popular. Recently DC Comics licensed and released a number of novels based on their comic book characters.

Batman: Fear Itself (2007) is written by Michael Reeves who received an Emmy Award for his work on Batman: The Animated series. What about Steven-Elliot Altman? My paperback copy does not list him as an author.

{warning: contains spoilers}

The basic premise of this novel is simple. If you are a best selling horror writer who seems to be losing his edge and his sales, what and how far will you go to reestablish yourself as a writer?

Grey Berwald is that horror writer. His solution was to turn to the master of horror, the Scarecrow a.k.a Dr. Crane for help. The Scarecrow gave Grey a neurotoxin to spray on his novels so that whoever read them will have a heighten state of fear. Things went wrong when some people cannot handle their fear and caused accident and death.

Batman/Bruce Wayne and investigative reporter Maggie Tollyer investigates and finally confronts the Scarecrow.

Reeves works with some interesting premises; How far will you go as a writer to get sales and reach the top of the best seller list? Do you have limits in what you will and will not write? Are you responsible for what people do after they have read your writing? Will you sell your soul to the devil?

If only reading this book would have killed me . . .
The plot: Batman discovers that readers of a horror novel have been literally scared to death.Who could be behind this???

The problem: Bo-ring.Honestly, I expected MUCH better from someone who wrote for Batman: The Animated Series.In this case, it was obvious from the beginning who the supervillain behind the plot was.Had Reaves misled us (and if they had not given it away on the front cover), it would have been more interesting and a better book. ... Read more

Product Description
With the dark ascension of the Empire, and the Jedi Knights virtually wiped out, one Jedi who escaped the massacre is slated for a date with destiny–and a confrontation with Darth Vader.

Jax Pavan is one of the few Jedi Knights who miraculously survived the slaughter that followed Palpatine’s ruthless Order 66. Now, deep in Coruscant’s Blackpit Slums, Jax ekes out a living as a private investigator, trying to help people in need while concealing his Jedi identity and staying one step ahead of the killers out for Jedi blood. And they’re not the only ones in search of the elusive Jax. Hard-boiled reporter Den Dhur and his buddy, the highly unorthodox droid I-5YQ, have shocking news to bring Jax–about the father he never knew.
But when Jax learns that his old Jedi Master has been killed, leaving behind the request that Jax finish a mission critical to the resistance, Jax has no choice but to emerge from hiding–and risk detection by Darth Vader–to fulfill his Master’s dying wish.

Don’t miss the continuing adventures in the Coruscant Nights series, coming this Fall! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Ludicrous, and yet enticing
It almost seems like M.R. was so determined not to reuse any adjectives that he started using a thesaurus comprised entirely of words that no longer appear in the english language. Noctilucent, stridulate, vermicular, limn, concupiscent, susurrus, imprecation, he actually misused the word indiction. . . you get my drift? After three pages of this pretentious crap I was ready to toss this book in the garbage. Luckily I had nothing else to read because by chapter three I was hooked. I was sitting with a highlighter and define:googling about one word for every two pages. Some of his word choices had me nearly rolling on the ground in tears. Hilariously bad writing. If you can get past that, and his tendency to get so distracted by his own capacious vocabulary that some of his sentences stretch over five lines of text and still manage to be fragment sentences, it's a pretty good story. Also, SHAME to his editor. Seriously? In a book series already full of nonsensical, futuristic, Star Warsian, techno speak, you let a guy sprinkle in words that haven't been in common use since Chaucer died? Tsk. Tsk.

Obviously the First Book
My expectations going into this book were mixed.On the one hand, I had just finished the Legacy of the Force series and was looking forward to returning to the days of the Empire.I also really enjoyed Reaves's Shadow Hunter and was therefore looking forward to seeing some of the characters (and the son of Lorn Pavan) I grew to love in that story.On the other hand, however, I've found Reaves's work to be somewhat forgettable.Ultimately, Jedi Twilight fell somewhere in the middle.Spoilers follow.

The plot of the novel is an old noir sort of story featuring Jax Pavan (Jedi son of Lorn Pavan), Laranth Tarak (a female Twi'lek and member of the Gray Paladins), I-Five (a witty protocol droid), Den Dhur (cynical ex-reporter), Nick Rostu (ex-soldier who fought in the Clone Wars), Prince Xizor (Black Sun member), Kaird (another Black Sun member), Rhinnan (aide of Lord Vader), and Darth Vader.The novel's primary strength lies in its interesting characters and their interactions.Den Dhur and I-Five make an interesting duo who appear very "human" in their actions (they argue, disagree, anger one another, and forgive...neither one is perfect).Laranth proved to be a fascinating female lead (I would have liked to see more of her, though) with her unique use of weapons and deep personality.Most of the characters had believable motives and it's very easy to become entangled with each character's story.Many of the characters are from Reaves's previous works; he knows his characters very well.The characters that weren't his, however, were hit and miss with their characterization.Xizor, for example, stayed more or less true to his original portrayal (though, the constant repetition of just how good at everything he was became tiresome) and I enjoyed seeing the beginnings of Guri.

However, one of the biggest disappointments of this book was Vader.I was initially pleased to see him and, while I've read worse portrayals, he just seemed a bit off (for lack of better word).I just couldn't picture him saying any of his lines.Reaves had the right idea with his general attitude, but fell short in nailing the Dark Lord's speech patterns and tone.I expected the strong, confident, practically undefeatable Vader from the movie, but the Vader here just seemed like a bit of a knockoff.

Another downfall of Jedi Twilight is the lack of a real, enticing plot.This is very obviously the first novel in a trilogy, as it is primarily backstory centred around one (relatively weak) unifying idea.The characters are all looking for a protocol droid named 10-4TO, or Bug Eyes for short, but all have their reasons for doing so (which leads to them all colliding at the climax of the book).Jax Pavan and Laranth are fulfilling the final wish of Jax's late Master; Den and I-Five are originally looking for Jax and eventually join the Jedi on their quest; Vader claims to want the droid for information, but is ultimately searching for Jax; Nick initially carries Jax's quest to him and is later trapped into aiding Vader.These characters (as well as Xizor and Kaird, who are caught in their own conflict with each other and Black Sun) come together in the abandoned Factory District, overrun with feral droids.The droid (Bug Eyes) ends up not being terribly important, but that isn't an issue as the conflict involving it isn't really gripping or believable or begin with.

There were some things I really liked about this novel, such as the setting (Reaves portrays the underlevels of Coruscant in an interesting light, making for a captivating setting), the idea of feral droids, his portrayal of the Force (Jax, for example, sees it as threads, which occurs in the book several times), and most of the characters.Unfortunately, there was also a lot I didn't like.For example, I fail to see how the Factory District could exist on Coruscant.It's possible I missed something, but I should think that an overcrowded planet such as Coruscant would use every space possible; not allow whole districts to become abandoned and overrun with feral droids.Also (and this is a complaint about the writers in general, not just Reaves), why is it that everyone is against the Empire?I get that it wasn't the best government system to grace the Galaxy Far Far Away, but I doubt that every being in the universe hates it.Aside from that, the lack of plot and Vader's characterization also failed to meet expectations.

This is probably going to be a forgettable book.It's not horrible, by any means...it's just not really that memorable.Since this book consisted of mainly backstory, I'm hoping the next book explores the "detective" side of this trilogy and continues to develop some of intriguing characters Reaves has introduced.

"Even without the Force, you are still a Jedi"
"Even without the Force, you are still a Jedi"
Don't confuse this book with the other "Twilight" book!In this new edition to the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Jax Pavan, former Jedi Knight, is scumming around in the Coruscant underbelly, trying to keep out of the limelight and Darth Vader's target sites.But when his former master, Even Piell, asks him for one last mission, how can he say no?

I Liked:
I opened this book with some trepidation.The last two Michael Reaves books I read (Death Star (Star Wars) and Batman: Fear Itself) didn't impress me.In fact, I rated both two stars.I was so sure that Reaves had lost his touch, that the magic of Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul) was gone.
Boy was I wrong!
Michael Reaves brings back his amazing characters from Darth Maul, the Medstar Duology and more.We get to learn more about I-Five and ponder sentience.Are droids slaves...or are they property?Can a droid attain sentience?We see what happened to Den Dhur, reporter of the Medstar Duology.The Sullustan friend of I-Five makes some of the snappiest remarks, he is impossible to hate.Then we have Jax Pavan, Lorn Pavan's Jedi son.He has pretty much lived a bounty hunter-ish life in the underworld of Coruscant.You see him struggle with living alone, without the Jedi and then without the Force.Nick Rostu of Shatterpoint (Star Wars: Clone Wars) fame is back.I feel for him, his struggle with his limited Force ability and his desire to save his home.Also starring is Kaird, a Nediji (think bird-man), who is a part of Black Sun just to get to his own homeworld.Of those listed (there are a few others, but I found them more periphery), my favorites are Nick and Kaird.I really grew attached to Nick, felt his struggles and understood his past.Kaird, I loved how he wasn't your typical, "I want to be a big shot for the power" kind of guy.Nope, all he wanted was to go home.
So a bunch of great characters don't mean a whole hill of beans.You can have a bunch and still have a lousy story (*ahem* Death Star).Not so here.The story is fantastic!There are just enough weaves, twists and turns (I figured out the end, but still, it was pretty darn interesting!) to keep you on your seat!And how Reaves puts all the characters together at the end...well, let's just say that THAT is how Death Star's ending should have been written.
And the ending!Wowee, talk about a ride!You will want to read the last 100 pages in one sitting.Trust me, I did!I didn't want to be torn away, not at that ending!

I Did Not Like:
I really have to pick here to get negatives.
Jedi deflect lasers but to shoot lasers out of the sky with blaster bolts?Uh huh, sure.Light is neither particle nor wave, so firing a light into a light does nothing, sorry.
The middle is kinda slow and almost padded.I can't even quite remember what happens in it!Fortunately, you don't seem to notice it when you are reading, only when you get to the end do you think, "Man, that section--whatever it was about--that was slow!"
I got a little tired of some of the repetition, namely about how Xizor was oh, so good at fighting (he was, and he proves it, I just get tired of all the characters saying it).
Also, the book is almost marketed as a PI/investigator type book.Uh, not so much.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Invented Star Wars fare.
About as sexual as you get is perhaps Twi'Lek slaves.Very tame.
Violence is surprisingly light.There are some firefights, some people are injured (cuts, scrapes, one person almost dies), and an intense battle between our fighters and feral droids, but on the whole, not many get really messed up.

Overall:
Brilliant work, Michael Reaves!Thank you for proving me wrong and showing me that you really haven't forgotten the art of a brilliant novel.If the other two in the trilogy are anywhere near as good as this, sign me up!Oh, and start writing some more.Five stars, no questions.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Four Stars + Spoilers May Follow
Jedi Twilight starts out very slow. There's a lot of charactors to introduce and it takes several chapters. However the ending makes it worth it. Its a very good and exciting fight which includes Jax, Vader and Xizor, from Shadows of the Empire.

I thought i would enjoy this.I was wrong.
I enjoyed this author's darth maul novel.So i tried to slog through this whole book and couldn't finish it because the writing was so bad.

The book was overly wordy and full of stupid techno babble and the characters came off as cardboard cutouts and not very well fleshed out.The action over the top on the ridiculousness of the prequels and the force unleashed and not satisfying like the original trilogy.

Spends too much time on creating an ambiance or environment of the underworld of coruscant.Vader makes his entrance far too late in this book trilogy. And we are drawn in attention to plots and characters who we don't care about and add nothing to the star wars mythos.Just filler to pad the book.

The books tries very hard to come off as a very clever noir hard boiled detective story in the back cover synopsis but turns out to be anything but.I can almost see the author trying for that Blade Runner style in the beginning.Does not work for star wars, sorry.
... Read more

Product Description
Fiction - Science Fiction - Space Opera; Fiction - Science Fiction - Adventure; Fiction - Movie or Television Tie-In ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

"You watch people in this kind of fire...and you see what they're really made of"
"You watch people in this kind of fire...and you see what they're really made of"
On the swampy world of Drongar, a fierce battle ensues between Republic and Separatists over bota, a plant that has amazing healing qualities for humans.On this outpost, a team of top doctors and nurses work to save the lives of soldiers and keep themselves alive as well.

I Liked:
The only "movie" character you will find in this book is the Jedi, Barris Offee. Now some people might be turned off by this fact.But given how well done these "every beings" are done, I think they more than deserve a second chance.
My particular favorite characters are Den Dhur, the Sullustan reporter, Barris Offee, the Jedi Padawan, and Zan, the Zabrak doctor who is also a music aficionado.I love how Den Dhur is so cynical, but at the very end, he goes out of his way to rescue Zan's beloved musical instrument, risking his own hide, something he said he would never do.I also love how he is not a sexy Twi'Lek, a stupid Weequay or a thieving Rodian, but a Sullustan (and not like Nien Nunb from Return of the Jedi, either).Barris has always been one of my favorites.Here, I love how childish she can come across, causing Phow Ji to trip and generally not liking him.It shows the Jedi have emotions and that she isn't perfect.Lastly, Zan.Zan is so tender-hearted, and while his affinity to music could be construed as a cliche, I can't help but like it.
Although these are my favorite characters, the other characters are pretty well written.Jos Vondar has this interesting debate within himself, whether to abandon his beliefs for his love of Tolk, or to reject her.His ultimate choice comes at a perfect time.We also see the reappearance of I-FYQ, the droid with humor, and my favorite from the first Coruscant Nights book, Kaird of Nediji.
In case you haven't heard this already, this book has the feel of M*A*S*H.I really liked this change of pace from your typical action/adventure/fluffy novel that has become the trademark of Star Wars.I appreciate the change in feel, in "genre" (almost) in this novel.It really stands out.And while it is not your "typical" action novel that many were/are complaining are missing from the Clone Wars era novels, I think it serves its purpose well, showing a small battle (aren't all the battles ultimately small, with Jedi stretched all over the galaxy?) on a dusty world in the midst of a medical camp.
I also thought it was an interesting move to have one of our "bad guys" end up being a "good guy", meaning that Admiral Bleyd was working with Filbar the Hutt to make money off stolen bota.It tends that if someone is on the Republic or Rebel's side, they are automatically painted as "good".This book avoids that stereotype nicely.

I Didn't Like:
I really don't have a lot to complain about.It was challenging keeping track of characters.What happened to Phow Ji was kinda confusing.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Star Wars invented (though I think I caught a "heck").
Jos considers a liaison with Tolk and recollects other previous liaisons.
A lot of scenes occur in an OR, so be wary for blood and guts.Also, there are battles, evacuations, and several characters die at the end.

Overall:
One word: Enjoyable!It's nice to read a niche story about characters we don't see in the movies.We have no idea what happens to them, so when it does, we are appropriately surprised, happy, sad, or angry.I also loved seeing recurring characters, such as I-Five and Kaird.I always appreciate this kind of continuity.
Of course, some people may bemoan the lack of Clone Wars action.It is good to keep that in mind when considering this novel.But if you like good characters and enjoyed watching M*A*S*H, then I suggest you read this book.You won't regret it.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not going to go into detail about this book because it is sooooooo bad! I am just going to say that this book is the worst starwars book I have ever read in my entire LIFE!!! There is like hardly have to do anything to do with battleing.

p.s: May the force be with you all.

star wars + MASH = good book!
Great characters, nice mystery, and alittle bit of comedy make this a great and easy to read book.

I-5 is awesome!

Loved It!
I was so happy when I found that it was Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee who was the Jedi in this novel. She was in Approaching Storm, and she left me wanting more of her after that one. Also, I-Five, from the novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is in this, and I think he is such a character! I love when authors bring in characters you wish to hear more of, and that is what this book does. I highly recommend this book, and its sequel!

Clone Wars MASH Unit
Battle Surgeons is our introduction to a Clone Wars MASH unit on the Planet Drongar, a pestilential quagmire of a world. The Republic medical team of surgeons, nurses, and droids is headed by Dr. Jos Vondar. Their primary function is to keep as many wounded clone troopers alive as possible. Their medical skills are impressive but the team is working under extremely difficult conditions and is having to treat a steady flow of injured troopers brought in by medlift.

Further complicating the situation is the presence of a Separatist spy and a Black Sun operative. Black Sun is particularly interested in a miracle plant called bota that is a cross between a mold and a fungus and has amazing medical uses. Bota grows only on Drongar and is immensely valuable.

As the book unfolds we come to understand the pressures of constantly trying to save lives while operating under huge pressure. We also are introduced again to Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee. We first met her in The Approaching Storm. We also meet once again the droid I-5, one of my favorite characters from Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Throw these characters in with the Sullustan reporter Den Dhur and Dr. Vondar's fellow surgeon and friend Zan Yant, and you get a volatile mix. The tale moves along at a good pace and gets the reader to think about the ethics of using clone troopers as cannon fodder. Also, Padawan Offee continues to struggle with the use of the Force and the appropriate ways for a Jedi to function. An entertaining tale that will be followed by Medstar II: Jedi Healer. ... Read more

Product Description
“THAT’S NO MOON.”
–Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Death Star’s name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself–equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom?

The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine–power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord–to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine’s sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear–and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences–can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor’s terrifying dream come true.

From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star–and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy.

Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil–all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the Death Star moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Liked the back story, characters were lacking
The character development was lacking. Read it like 5 months ago and I can't recall any of the 6 or so main character names.It was a good look at the issues an imperial worker or slave would be under during the construction of the Death Star.I forget what movie it was, something like Mall Rats or Clerks, were they argued about the destruction of the Death Star and the potential innocent workers that died. The counter point was made that the first death start was built and was only staffed by the imperial army and navy. Were as the second was still under construction and a common general contractor might be just doing his job and bam he gets blown up. The argued about how you shouldn't take a military contract unless you are willing to take on the risks of the job site. On and on. This whole scene of the movie took place well before this book was written.Now think about it. Do you think the contractor was given a choice? Do you think the contractor or the prisoner and various slaves from all over the galaxy were really given a choice? People work for the legitimate government and do as they are told because otherwise you go to jail. This is how the rebellion obtained members. People who were forced to do something they knew was wrong. This whole story is about characters from various situations that get together to rebel.

Teaser:
Don't read beyond if you don't want to know. Not very revealing, but you won't be surprised when you read it late in the book.

This book gives some explanation towards the end of the book about how Han and Luke's trip through the Death Star. Do you think they stopped and asked for directions? How were they able to find Princess Leia in a cell all the way on the other side of a moon sized battle station?C-3PO and R2-D2 were not the only help they got. All those different turbo lifts, air locks, different hallways and access doors. The movie just breezes over all that. The original book explains a bit and gives some narrative explanation and dialog during the long trip.This book really gives you another piece of how it was made possible.

Like Sabra L. Zedick said....Awesome conpanion to "A New Hope"
Like some SW books, this one too gets off to a slow start, but takes off as we get to know the new set of characters, this one basically gives us a viewpoint of life aboard the Death Star & those living on it, Vil Dance is a Tie Fighter Pilot that we get to know, the Tie pilots always seemed to me unemotional & one-dimesional, finally we are given a glimpe of one of them & what they think & realize they are not all that different than any Rebel pilot, then there is Nova Stihl, a Commanding Stromtrooper who we also get to know, & who becomes somewhat disgusted with the Empire when they destroy Alderaan, he even quietly allows Han Solo & Chewbacca more time to flee by jamming the blast doors they narrowly escape through in the film, Tenn Ganeet is the Imperial Gunner who activates the muderous Death Star laser that destroys Alderaan, & we realize that he has a conscious & deliberately delays the order to destroy Yavin 4 in an effort to allow Luke to accomplish his task at the end, by uttering those famous last minute words.."Stand By", then there is Ratula, a criminal who has snuck aboard on the Death Star in a earlier flight, there is also Uli, the station's doctor who treats Leia after her interrogation, there is also Teela, one of the station's designers who begins a romance with Vil, then there is Memath & Rodo, who are recruited to serve the station's cantina, all these characters decide to defect toward the end just as the Rebels mount their historic attack on the Death Star in the film's climax, some make it some don't, I won't spoil it here, also we are given more background on Grand Moff Tarkin & we see Darth Vader enforcing the Emperor's will in & around the film's events, also we learn a little more about Admiral Motti & his dislike for Vader which almost cost him his life when he questions Vader in the film, this one really pulled me in with these characters, especially Vil(Tie Pilot) & Nova(Trooper), & Tenn(Gunner), imperial troops with a conscious, who are not at all happy about the deaths of millions of innocents on Alderaan,this is one great read once you engage yourself with the characters, definately for fans of the original 1977 film..

Amazing companion to A New Hope
This book was absolutely amazing, it answered questions about how Qui Xux was still involved with the Death Star after Episode II, and really gave an awesome perspective into those who work for the Empire. Over all a great, and quick read, definitely one that is worth purchasing.

Great
Excellent book. I enjoyed it. Sometimes hard to keep up with, but two great authors made a good book.

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but still an enjoyable read
The blurb on the back cover promised "the untold story of the ultimate weapon".I was expecting something that traced the Death Star's history from initial concept to end product.Instead, the authors limited the story's scope to the final construction phase.

The book follows several characters: an archivist, a bartender, a bouncer, a doctor (who previously introduced in the Clore War era MedStar books), an escaped convict, a guard, a gunnery officer, a TIE pilot and of course Grand Moff Tarken and Darth Vader.With such a large cast, the storyline is occasionally unfocused and there isn't a lot of in-depth character development.

The first part of the book moves at a slow, steady pace, but it didn't really fully engage me.The second part, however, had me riveted as the familiar events of A New Hope unfolded from totally different points of view.The moral dilemma of the gunnery office is particularly well done but ultimately, like most Star Wars books, this one shied away from a truly gut-wrenching ending.

Bottom line although it wasn't exactly what I expected, I found this to be an enjoyable read. ... Read more

Product Description
As a Louisiana parole officer, Lia St. Charles is used to tough customers, but the man in front of her doesn't fit the description.Shane LaFitte had been a priest of vodun--a healer, not a killer--until he was put away for the brutal ritual murder of his beloved wife.Something about his case just doesn't make sense.

And now a ruthless drug lord who controls the New Orleans street trade has opened a door to the Invisible World beyond, summoning monstrous forces for a dreadful day of reckoning.To work this terrible evil, he needs the sacrifice of an innocent, a very special child.Only Shane LaFitte has the power to stop his old enemy--but first he must convince Lia not to put him back in prison for trying...Amazon.com Review

The air was suddenly charged with a bright actinic glare: shecould see millions of raindrops, each one separate and distinct,frozen on their fall to earth. Lightning, she thought ... and surelyit was thunder that followed immediately, even though thegroundshaking rumble sounded eerily like the laughter of some grimlyamused giant or elemental... But a thunderbolt didn't explain thevision Lia saw against the clouds, stark in the bright light, frozenlike those myriad drops of rain: the vision of a gigantic gaunt man,towering as high as the clouds themselves, wearing black vestments, astovepipe hat and small, round glasses. She could see the clouds dimlythrough him, and it seemed, as he moved, that his tattered coat wasfull of stars.

It's a surprisingly light novel for one with such heavy themes--ratherlike a crime or caper tale. The language is fluid, the plot iswell paced and suspenseful, and the fact that the characters aretwo-dimensional doesn't detract that much. You'll learn a lot offascinating Voudoun and Creole words, too. Some readers maylong for a glossary, but if you're patient and wait a page or two,Reaves will give you each word's meaning in context. --Fiona Webster ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Had weird dreams! Thank you!
I had some weird dreams while I read this. Usually I read at nightwhen I'm going to bed, and when I get into my deep REM sleep there are elements of what I've read mixed in with whatever happened that day. This book added hex twists to everything in my subconscious. I really enjoyed it!

A fast paced, fun, fairly creepy
This is the first book I read by Reaves--still is, in fact--but I will be reading more.I found the book thoroughly enjoyable.A parole officer finds herself investigating one of New Orlean's most powerful criminals, Mal Sangre (don't worry, there's a story behind the cheesy name).Joining a Voodoo priest who originally came to America to stop his old friend from using bad Voodoo but is now serving time for a savage murder, the parole officer and a small cast of other interesting characters each experience the dark side of Voodoo.Fun stuff.

Voodoo in Nola, With a Twist
Voodoo Child (1998) is the third novel in a series of urban fantasies based on different magic traditions, but with a twist.Moreover, these stories are all hard-boiled mysteries.This novel invokes the tradition of Voodoun and Santeria.

Lia St. Charles is a New Orleans probation-parole officer who has Shane LaFitte among her parolees.Shane is a houngan, a Voudoun priest from Haiti, where he had been a friend of Jorge Arnez, a priest of Santeria and much more accomplished in his craft than Shane.

After several years, Shane begins to accept that his friend has become endiosados -- self-deified -- extending his studies to more powerful magics based on black witchcraft and ultimately gaining the power to enslave the mind of others.When the santero leaves Haiti, Shane and his wife, Anise, make arrangements to follow Arnez to the United States.

In New Orleans, Arnez is known as Mal Sangre and is the head of a powerful criminal organization. When Shane confronts him, Arnez gains control of his mind and forces him to kill his wife.When Shane is found with his wife's body, he is sentenced to 25 years in the state prison, but is let out after five years.Returning to Nola, Shane finds Arnez to be even more powerful and now planning a sacrifice to enable him to become a god.

When Shane tells his parole officer, Lia, that he is on a mission to save the world from an evil sorcerer, she doesn't believe a word of it.After Shane is found with a fired pistol in his hand, Lia sends him back to prison for violation of parole.Later, Lia is to learn that Shane was toning down the truth, but by then she was in too deep to back out.

Recommended for Reaves fans and anyone who enjoys tales of tracking down criminals who are using exotic and evil magic.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Ordinary. It could be better.
Actually, I thought it would entertain me but it didn't. It is not boring, but the plot is standard, it means it is predictable. It is one of the million of other horror books published all around the world. Nevertheless,I believe it could make a pretty nice movie. The only thing I liked verymuch was author's manner of description of places and people's behavior andthoughts.

Satisfying thriller!
Michael Reave's engaging narrative and dialog conjure clear & sometimes disturbing scenarios of a dark, ominous world beneath the tourist's New Orleans. After reading this story you may rethink your nextvisit to the Big Easy. ... Read more

Product Description
Sentenced for a crime he didn't commit, Dain Maro has been incarcerated in the Omega Cage--a prison located on an isolated planet and housing the scum of the galaxy.

Escape was supposed to be impossible, but the Omega Cage has never had to contain the likes of Dain Maro before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Enter the world of the Zonn
This book is written in the Steve Perry's Confederation Universe.It has two characters from the book The Man Who Never Missed, Juete, the Albino Mutant, and Dain Maro, the protagonist of this book who was a minor character in the book The Man Who Never MissedIt is not, in my opinion part of the Matador series, as I have seen on some reference materials.It is a book that Matador completist should read, IMHO
The cage is a hi-tech prison on an isolated planet.The dumping ground for the scum of the galaxy- and special enemies of the brutal Confederation.
They said escape was impossible. If Warden Stark and his merciless hunting machines didn't get you, the bone-littered desert and deadly swamps would claim anyone lucky enough to survive.
Now, Dain Maro, sentenced to the Omega Cage for a crime he didn't commit, is about to attempt the impossible.....
Recommended for fans of Steve Perry and the mental aspects of the martial arts in a science fiction setting.

GunnerMay, 2010

I'd give this a 4.5 if I could, but since I had to choose I decided it was worth a 5.

GunnerMay, 2010

Perry takes supporting Characters and makes them Shine!
In Perry's amazingly good MATADOR TRILOGY we got to meet Juete a genetically created Albino Beauty designed to be a sex toy of the rich who ultimatly became the bittersweet lover of Emile Khadaji. We also briefly see Dain Maro as a Black Market operative Khadaji does business with, less than a page is used to describe their encounter but you are left feeling that with Dain Maro there is much more to him than meets the eye.
The Omega Cage is a vehicle Perry uses to re-introduce both Juete and Maro in their own gripping adventure. A Hellish prison called the Omega Cage ends up becoming Maro's new home after a betrayal from within the Crime Guild he belongs to, Black Sun.
Once there he encounters Juete who is languishing as the cruel warden's sex slave and....well read the book for yourself. The plot is pure Perry and what could be better?

A decent companion to the Matador series
It's been some years since I read this one, but it seems a shame to leave a good book with no reviews, so please forgive any errors of memory:

The Omega Cage is the story of the prison escape alluded to in Perry's morerecent novel, Brother Death.It follows a prisoner in the Confed's mostsecure prison (called, not surprisingly, the Omega Cage).With the help ofthe warden's albino sex slave, he escapes the prison and makes his way offplanet using some interesting alien technology.

The pace of the novel isreasonably fast, but because of the prison setting, much of the action isnot as brisk as most of Perry's novels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wow
I had read some of these stories in Fantasy & Science Fiction but most were new to me.This guy can write.I recommend reading this book during the day in a crowded house because if you read it alone at night you will have the living daylights scared out of you.This book also includes the never before published Catsclaw.

Vey Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

In fact, he's the kind of guy who gets lost in his own house. But then one day, Joey gets really lost. He walks straight out of his world and into another dimension.

Customer Reviews (46)

A MUST READ by sunny green
INTERWORLD by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves, shows both authors amazing writing skills. Neil Gaiman has written short stories for kid's comic books, film and young adult novels (coralline, The Graveyard book). Michael Reaves writes comics (Superman, Batman) and novels. He wrote for star trek and star wars. In this book both authors combine their incredible skills to create this masterpiece.


This book includes magic science fiction and fantasy. No matter what genre you like you will love this book. This book is about a boy Joey harker who suddenly gets sucked in to another world were he gets taken by an older Joey harker from another universe. The older Joey harker takes him back to a base that has Joey harkers from all different worlds and dimensions. There he is trained. This organization keeps the balance between magic and science and after failing a test that was a trap by the enemies he is brain washed and sent back to his world were weird stuff keeps accruing that makes it seem like part of his memory is still there then something accurse that brings back all of his memory and he is left with the choice of his family or the people he left behind in the enemies planet.
No matter what genre is your favorite genre you will like this book it is a real mix between science fiction and fantasy. I loved everything about this book from the writing to the plot to the characters this is a great entertaining thought provoking book that I would say is a must read.

Gaiman at work.
Interworld seems to be Gaiman branching out into another realm of writing though we see him quite familiar with the magical and mystical his application of science and scientific theory left this story lacking. Excellent work yet left me wondering where the magic had gone, which is a primary reason that I enjoy Neil Gaiman's work.

Waiting for the movie
I was introduced to Gaiman with the Sandman series, have read others of his books, follow his tweets on Twitter, and found Caroline to be one of the creepiest movies I've seen in a loonnnggg time.Ok, so I am a fan. Of Interworld, I'll say that while it didn't blow me away, I found it so likable that at its end I came here to add my voices to any saying that it should be made into a movie.It's got an unlikely hero, big good versus big evil, classic defeats, and an outrageous win.In this respect it is, perhaps, a bit formulaic.Don't read this if you're looking for a groundbreaking work or high literary merit.However, that's nothing to keep it from being a pleasurable read and (I hope) a deeply satisfying I'm-glad-I-paid-for-that-ticket summer movie.

Not what I expected
This book is pure science fiction in the academic sense. Surprisingly (given Gaiman's reputation) it is not a very well written story. If you like random ideas about infinite possible worlds and altruistic, friendly fairy balloon guides, then go for it. The story is actually quite sophomoric and the characters are neither believable, nor well developed. But the concepts are interesting enough to get you through...if barely.

Another Gaiman book I couldn't put down!
Wow, I was searching for some books for my new Kindle and found InterWorld by Neil Gaiman. I've read several of his other books and figured I couldn't lose.I was right! I was transported to another world where there were interesting characters and an amazing story. Mr. Gaiman is so talented a writer, I couldn't put my Kindle down. I wish there was a part 2. ... Read more

Product Description

"I can't be...just a person,

I can't be helpless like that...."

-- Buffy, "Helpless"

At eighteen, each Slayer must face a terrifying trial: the Tento di Cruciamentum. This time-honored, albeit cruel, rite of passage forces each Watcher to drain the Slayer of all her physical powers and then send her to vanquish a powerful vampire using only her wits. When Buffy Summers underwent her Cruciamentum, she managed to defeat Kralik, a vampire who had been committed to a sanitarium as a human for torturing and murdering more than a dozen young women before he was turned. However, not all Slayers have been so cunning.

Tales of the Slayer, Vol. 4 chronicles the Cruciamentum of eight earlier Slayers. From Prohibition Chicago to beatnik New York City, from the sideshows of a traveling carnival to a small Irish farm, from the fifteenth century to the twentieth, the Cruciamentum has tested the prowess of Slayers throughout history. Each of them has had to fight: for her job, for the lives of those she loved, and for her own existence.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Just Like the others a 5 star review
I love the Tales of The Slayer books they are great this one is no different.

Interesting stories, doesn't quite track with Buffy series
I've collected all four of the Tales volumes now and once again found some interesting stories to read. This time around all 8 stories are set around the Cruciamentum which all slayers are put through on reaching 18.
I found that these writers (some of whom also wrote for the series) each had their own style and usually didn't tell their Cruciamentum stories anything like what we saw Buffy go through in the TV version, in some the girl's parents even knew she was a slayer. I haven't read the whole book yet but found, as before, stories running through the centuries- from Nikki in 1973 back to Esperanza in 1481. I didn't care for the beatnik story but thought the Spanish Inquisition story was interesting. I kind of liked Survivors and Sideshow Slayer. Jane Espenson's "Two teenage girls at the Mall" was one of the more interesting stories, and told mostly from the viewpoint of the vampire girl.

Tales of the Cruciamentum
The eight tales in this book deal with slayers facing the cruel test called The Cruciamentum, in which a slayer is deliberately weakened and, on her 18th birthday, must face a vampire alone, using only her wits.Most of the stories take place in 20th centuryNorth America, 2 in New York, 1 in Chicago just before the onset of Prohibition, 1 in rural Pennsylvania, 1 in a small town in Nebraska, and 1 in Nova Scotia.The other two are set in 1876 Ireland and 1981 Seville, during the Spanish Inquisition, which I found to be the most interesting of the lot.The Grand Inquisitor Tomas de Torquemada makes an appearance in this one.

The stories have an interesting variety, considering that the subject of all of them is the same.One girl is a pacifist, not wanting to be the Slayer any more.Another is a carnival performer.Two are Jewish and, for that reason, are probably less than beloved of the Watcher's Council.

I found the story Survivors to be quite sad, as Dot's Watcher, who left to fight in World War I, has descended into melancholia and perhaps madness.Dot virtually becomes his caretaker as he lapses into delusion.Two Teenage Girls at the Mall, told by a 16 year old newly made female vampire, is also very sad, making the reader wish that somehow there could be a positive resolution for both the Slayer and Julie, the vampire.

The first story, It's All About the Mission, deals with Nikki Wood, who is pregnant with her son Robin, who will become the principal of Sunnydale High School one day.We all know that she will eventually be killed by Spike, so the focus of the story is how she survives rather than if she will survive.

In the story Undeadsville, the Slayer Zoe Kuryakin refers to her cousin Illya, who is studying in Russia.Could he become one of the Men from U.N.C.L.E., portrayed by David McCallum?It wouldn't surprise me if it was meant to be a reference to the popular television show of the 60's!

In an earlier volume in this series, reference was made to "the doxy Darla."She is mentioned again as a friend of hers says,
"Has ever a Slayer met her end in such a delightfully slapstick manner?I shall have to tell Darla about this when next we meet.She's bound to find the tale uproarious."That was quite clever.It's rather surprising that we see so little of the vampires from the Order of Aurelius--Darla, Angelus, Drusilla, and William the Bloody--in these stories.Quentin Travers does make an appearance, and he was every bit as unpleasant then as he is in the present time.

These are interesting stories, fun and quick to read.I recommend them.

Exploring the cruel and stupid ritual of the Cruciamentum
The authors who contributed original short stories to "Tales of the Slayer, Volume 4" are constrained by having to write about the Tento di Cruciamentum.This is the rite of passage first introduced in Season Three of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in the episode "Helpless" (written by David Fury), that is administered to Slayers when they reach their 18th birthday.Drained of her powers by her Watcher, the Slayer is forced to vanquish a vampire using only her wits.Buffy defeated Kralik, her vampire foe, but because Giles defied the authority of the Watcher's Council to aid Buffy he is fired by Quentin Rravers for violating the test rules (and because he has a father's love for his Slayer).What was important in terms of the third season story arc was the Giles was fired, to be replaced, in a manner of speaking, by the bumbling Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, but in this collection of stories we have to deal with the legacy of the Cruciamentum.

If you want you can skip this paragraph to get to the review of the stories, because I am going to start ranting now about how the Cruciamentum is a stupid idea.First, how did the Watcher's Council come up with this stupid idea?They would have to either stumble upon the drugs that strip the Slayer of her powers or they went looking for it, and in that latter case the question becomes why they felt this was necessary.We still do not know the story of the true origin of the Cruciamentum, but my best guess would be that the arrogant men of the Watcher's Council had a Slayer or too that they would rather see dead than have to deal with (probably because of issues of class, ethnicity, and/or race).Second, why would they think this stupid idea was a good thing to put Slayer's through?I do not see how it could be an improvement on the previous status quo.You can quote Nietzsche all you want, and someone in this collection does, but a traumatic experience is more likely to make you really ticked off rather than stronger.Besides, if a Watcher has not been teaching a Slayer to use their brains as well as their brawn, then I do not see why the Slayer has to play the ultimate price.So like Riker being able to hear Troi's thoughts on the pilot for "STNG," the Cruciamentum is something that needed to be forgotten and not embraced.However, that is too late now, so we turn to reviewing the stories in "Tales of the Slayer, Volume 4":

"It's All About the Mission" by Nancy Holder, set in the Harlem of 1973, is the one story that covers familiar ground as the Slayer turning 18 is Nikki Wood, who would eventually be killed by Spike, but not before she gave birth to the man who would be the last principal of Sunnydale High School.Nikki's Watcher, Bernard Crowley, knows exactly how idiotic the whole ritual is, and while Holder tries to deal with this in the story's resolution, the fact that it involves another familiar character from the Buffy mythos actually undercuts her point.Still, this story does a nice job of dealing with a pregnant Slayer, which is something I have long been curious about.4 Stakes.

"Undeadsville" by Michael Reaves takes place in New York City as well, but back in 1952 when the Slayer is a beatnik named Zoe who says things like "Sorry, Daddy-O, but you're dust" as she stakes a vamp.Zoe's Watcher, Ian Sykes, is so affronted by her lifestyle that he conspires with a vampire named Faust to see that the Slayer does not survive her test.Certainly an interesting idea, but Reaves comes up with some other twists as well.4-and-a-half Stakes.

"Alone" by Scott Allie is set outside Ulster in 1876 and that means we have to endure the prejudice of the predominantly English Watchers Council for having an Irish Slayer in Catherine Callan.To make it even more fun, she pretends to be married to her Watcher, Mr. Spelling.This is just one of several things that Catherine's father is not happy about.Unfortunately, this is one of the briefest stories in the collection and does not really take advantage of the interesting aspects of the situation.3 Stakes.

"Sideshow Slayer" by Greg Cox gets bonus points because Millicent "Millie" Rose Gresham is from the Zenith City of Duluth, Minnesota, even if the story finds her in a carnival side show in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania in 1911.The idea of a traveling Slayer is certainly worth pursuing and being in a carny is an interesting cover.Cox also comes up with an interesting place for the powerless slayer to confront her vampire.4 Stakes.

"Survivors" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch in set in Chicago in 1919, where Dorothy "Dot" Singers date with the ritual becomes secondary to her concern for her Watcher, Reginald Hill, who suffers from shell shock after having abandoned his Potential to go to war and make the world safe for democracy.There is also a concern that the vampires have their own agenda working against the interest of the Watchers Council, but it is the interplay between Watcher and Slayer that matters most in this one.4-and-a-half Stakes.

"Back to the Garden" by Robert Joseph Levy offers a pacifist Slayer in Beryl MacKenzie, who joins a commune in Nova Scotia in 1969 on the eve of her coming into her power.So we have the irony of her Cruciamentum being her initiation into Slayerhood.So Levy's story has the virtue of having two interesting ideas that unfortunately work against each other in this case.4 Stakes.

"The Rule of Silence" by Kara Dalkey takes us back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition in Seville, Spain in 1481, so you know this is not going to be a good thing.This is especially true since the Slayer, Esperanza de la Vega, has not only been reading about demons, which makes her a witch, but is a Marrano, which makes her a heretic.The lesson here will obviously be that human beings can be the greatest monsters of all.4-and-a-half Stakes.

"Two Teenage Girls at the Mall" by Jane Espenson is my favorite of the eight stories.Set in Keller, Nebraska in 1983, it is told from the perspective of Julie Lemmer, a sixteen year old who has just been turned into a vampire.Starved by her sire, she is tossed into the Westgrand Mall, where she eventually discovers that there is another teenage girl locked in that night.We know that the other girl has to be the Slayer, but the twist is that Julie knows here.Those who enjoyed Espenson's sense of humor in her "BtVS" scripts will enjoy the climax of this one.Five stakes.

I have to admit that I was someone disappointed that none of these stories ended with the Slayer coming out and slaughtering the haughty members of the Watchers Council that assemble for their cruel rite of passage.Beyond that, I certainly anticipated more tales in which the Slayer does not survive.What did not surprise me is that my lack of respect for the Watcher's Council continues to decline as a result of reading these stories, all of which continues to make Rupert Giles look as phenomenal as a Watcher and his charge proved to be as a Slayer.If there is a thematic motif to the next volume in this series, it will be interesting to see what the editors choose to explore, because there are certainly other aspects of the Slayer mythos worth exploring besides the idiocy of the Cruciamentum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Decent early work
Being a big fan of Perry's "Matador" series, I recently picked up a used copy of "Hellstar". While I enjoyed reading it, I can't really recommend it all that highly.

The book is set on a ship about halfway through a 50+-year journey from earth to Alpha Centauri. The ship is coasting at this point, and weight is provided by a rotating toroid. There are several subcultures specializing in things like working at the hub where there's no gravity, or working outside the ship, but there aren't any radical differences between groups. Most of the first generation crew members are still alive, so the ship still runs reasonably well, and the journey seems to be going pretty smoothly.

Then, of course, strange things start happening. There are weird temporary failures of basic laws of physics, escalating from subatomic particle experiments misbehaving, through failures in coriolis effects and eventually, far more serious things. The reasons for these failures are never really satisfactorily explained. There is some pseduo-physics mumbo-jumbo about macroscopic quantum effects and massless singularites, but it contains more than the usual proportion of handwavium[1].

The "science fiction" aspects of this story are, as a result, somewhat unsatisfactory. The description of the ship itself is good, but the "universe gone mad" eastern philosophy fusion bits really don't quite work. I've seen similar themes handled far better in many other works.

The real strength of the book is when it focuses on martial arts sequences or delves into Zen and the martial arts. There are major subplots involving a serial killer and political intrigue that are really the book's saving graces. Steve Perry has handled both far better in other works, however. You really can't beat his "Matador" series on that score.

I think Michael Reaves may be the weak point here. He was also a collaborator on "The Omega Cage", and that book also has some relatively weak science that detracts from the action. It could also be that this book was written fairly early in both authors' careers, and represents a time when they were still forming their respective styles.

I'd recommend this one only if you've already ready everything in the "Matador" series and are looking for something else by Steve Perry.

--
[1] Handwavium: n. 1. Any fictional substance or element used to explain how speculative technology might work. Example: "Dilithium crystals are made of pure handwavium." 2. Any argument known to be in contravention of one or more scientific principles, used to explain a technological plot device in a work of fiction. ... Read more

Product Description
After the Empire’s bloody purge of the Jedi, one lone Knight still fights for those who cannot, unaware that he’s about to be swept into a cataclysmic battle against the Master of Darkness himself.

Throughout the galaxy, a captured Jedi is a dead Jedi, even in Coruscant’s most foul subterranean slums, where Jedi Knight Jax Pavan champions the causes of the oppressed with the help of hard-nosed reporter Den Dhur and the wisecracking droid I-5YQ. But Jax is also involved in another struggle–to unlock the secrets of his father’s death and his own past.

While Jax believes that I-5YQ holds some of those answers, he never imagines that the truth could be shocking enough to catapult him to the frontlines of a plot to kill Emperor Palpatine. Worse yet, Darth Vader’s relentless search for Jax is about to end . . . in triumph.

The future looming over the valiant Jedi and his staunch pals promises to be dark and brief, because there’s no secret whatsoever about the harshest truth of all: Few indeed are those who tangle with Darth Vader . . . and live to tell the tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

I agree with the previous reviewer
Reviewer Sharilyn was absolutely correct in her assesment of this three book series and the ending. I'd like to expand on why the ending is so disappointing. While reading the series, considering the nature of Vader's pursuit of the Jedi, you keep thinks that the ending will end with mayhem and death for most, if not all, of the central characters in this series. However, only one person from the little gang of PIs is killed, and that person is revealed as a traitor just before death. The ending of this book is what I would call a "Hollywood Ending", in that everyone's fine, and romance starts to blossom between the Jedi & the Gray Paladin. In a nutshell, the ending is total BS.

"If Jax commits himself and his team to Palpatine's assassination, then what distinguishes him from those who represent the dar
"If Jax commits himself and his team to Palpatine's assassination, then what distinguishes him from those who represent the dark side?"
So I was really impressed by number 1, disappointed by number 2, and ready to see how the series would end.So I embarked on the third and final chapter!
Jax Pavan, Den Dhur, I-Five, and Rhinann return in our final installment with the lovely Dejah Duare on what could be their final mission.A rogue Force adept roams the underworld, threatening to blow their operation to the Inquisitors, Force users trained by Darth Vader himself.Furthermore, someone from I-Five's past returns with a plan...a plan to kill Emperor Palpatine!What will our band do, to fight injustice in the galaxy?

I Liked:
In book two, I felt that the character of Rhinann had gone off the deep end.In Book 3, Reaves brings Rhinann back to what he had been at the end of Book 1.He does it well enough, that I can either gloss over the disparities in Book 2 or believe that he changed from Book 2 to 3.I appreciated the "mending" and surprisingly found myself liking the character.
Also, I enjoyed seeing Jax Pavan realize his feelings for Laranth, how much he misses her.When Laranth was first introduced in the series, I was so sure she would be a Mary Sue: you know, tough woman, highly attractive and able to bed men in a single bound.Ha!Reaves must be laughing in his recliner at me.He deftly creates this woman, so real and emotional and...wonderful!Then he broke her and Jax up in Book 2, tearing out my heart in the process (darn you, Reaves!).And now, in 3, he starts to weave Jax and Laranth back together in a most beautiful way.And, not to spoil anything, their resolution is absolutely perfect.
I never liked Dejah Duare, but I love what Reaves does to her.Perfect justice!
Besides the characters (my favorites being Laranth, of course, I-Five, and Den Dhur), which are, for the most part, amazing as usual, Reaves also ties in all the details he has been bringing up in his previous books, not only the Coruscant Nights ones, but also the Darth Maul book and the MedStar Duology.Very nicely done, and always neat to see stuff reused.
The ending!!So fast paced, so much happens in so little time!In this regard, I feel like Reaves looked back at Book 1, how he made it so edge of your seat there and repeated that idea here.It is wonderful, a perfect combination for a Star Wars novel.
Lastly, I liked how this novel touched on so many important concepts, but namely this one: what distinguishes the good guys from the bad guys?It isn't a HUGE part of the novel, but it is sly, tricky, and makes you think.I mean, if the bad guys are bad just because they kill, that means any time the good guys kill (even if it is bad guys), then they have become that which they fight.A very challenging idea, and very important still.Reaves handles it particularly well.

I Didn't Like:
I've already complained about how Rhinann's character has skipped all over the place in this trilogy, but since Reaves "fixed" him in Book 3, he goes off my nit-pick list.
Dejah Duare remains on my list, for being the Mary Sue of this series.I despise her overly done-up sexuality, even if she does rely on pheromones to get her way (or maybe because she does).
I was not very fond of Kajin Savaros.I have a hard time believing that this boy is so powerful (able to blast tall buildings in a single breath); he feels like a Marty Stu.Plus, he is a rather bland character, almost like eating vanilla ice cream, but not even good vanilla ice cream.He really is much less a character than a tool, just to move the plot.And his conclusion makes me wonder if I should even have cared about him in the first place.
The beginning felt very, incredibly slow to me.It took me weeks to actually get into the book.It feels like nothing important is happening, that I can't engage in the story.Thank God Reaves picks it up halfway through!
SPOILER:
My last great complaint is that Jax still lives.Yes, I love how he and Laranth get together at the end, but I really tire of seeing all these Jedi that somehow are able to elude Vader and Order 66.I would have preferred to see him die at the end, like how his father died at the end of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter.In this way, I feel that this trilogy is a little too "open-ended".Yes, Jax had his face-off with Vader, but it is obvious that, since neither died, it is only the first face-off.Vader won't just give up on Jax; Jax still lives on Coruscant.And since Jax isn't my favorite character to begin with, I wouldn't have been upset to see him die.
END OF SPOILER

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Star Wars language only.
Dejah Duare pretty much embodies the biggest sexual blips in this novel.
A man is scarred pretty badly in a Force battle.Two people are kidnapped.Other Star Wars fare battles.

Overall:
To be honest, after a few pages, I dreaded this book.I wanted to put it down and forget about it forever.Reaves had kinda lost me after 2, and I didn't think he could bring it around.
Well, Reaves, you proved me wrong yet again!He finished off the trilogy nicely, though I felt that it was still a little more open-ended than I would have liked.So despite a very slow beginning, I give this book a 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Too Silly to be Good
I hadn't been particularly impressed with the first two books of the Coruscant Nights trilogy and therefore went into the third and final installation with relatively low expectations.Having finished it, I have to say that Patterns of the Force (as well as the rest of the trilogy) had potential, but suffered in execution.Specifically, the author uses too many "silly" ideas in this novel for it to be taken seriously.Spoilers follow.

The story begins pretty much where the last book left off: Jax, Den Dhur, Dejah, Rhinnan, and I-Five are aiding Whiplash and living off of Dejah's money while Laranth is working on her own to help Whiplash.Tuden Sal, a character from I-Five's past comes knocking with a proposition for I-Five: assassinate the emperor and rid the galaxy of his tyranny.This causes great debate amongst the group for the obvious reason of the risks involved.During this, Jax finds a boy with great, uncontrollable, and practically undefeatable Force abilities named Kajin, who is being hunted by Probus Tesla, an Inquisitor.This ends up playing a big role in the book.Laranth enters the picture again and some discoveries about the late Ves Volette's sculptures are made.Rhinnan continues to pursue his obsession with possessing the Force while Den seriously contemplates leaving Coruscant to return to his home planet.Things eventually come together to produce the discovery of a traitor in the group, an interesting revelation about I-Five, and a final battle with Vader.

My first complaint comes in the form of Kajin, the insanely powerful, but untrained, Force sensitive boy.He's simply unbelievable.I find that a lot of Star Wars books include this concept of a new, powerful, Force sensitive being, and it's getting rather old.This attempt in particular was very unbelievable.As a reader, I just had a really hard time believing that a fourteen-year-old boy could be that powerful.Not to mention, he was a rather shallow character overall that just didn't do much for the story.The book would have been better off without him.

I actually really liked the idea of the light sculptures acting as a Force shield.It doesn't seem to have settled well with other readers, but I thought it was a good attempt on Reaves's behalf to add something unique to the Star Wars universe.I doubt any other authors will pick it up, but for this trilogy, it worked well enough.

I know that the idea of Inquisitors has been used before Patterns of the Force, but I still find the concept to be a bit ridiculous.The "Rule of Two" has already been well established in the Star Wars continuity, and I fail to see how this college of Dark Side users (supposedly trained by Darth Vader himself) fits into that rule.Probus Tesla himself was an interesting character whom I wouldn't mind seeing more of, but the Inquisitor school that Darth Vader somehow finds time to oversee was just silly.

Speaking of Darth Vader, Reaves still didn't manage to portray the Dark Lord correctly.It almost seems as if his characterization has gotten worse with each book.His conclusion in this novel was one of the most disappointing, out of character actions I've read in any Star Wars book (and I've read a lot).For whatever reason, I have a difficult time picturing Vader basically getting high off a Force drug and falling out the window.Again, this actually did start as a relatively interesting idea and was then turned into stupidity.

I did, however, like the idea of a traitor in the group, and much like in one of the Medstar books, I was completely shocked by who it turned out to be.Even though I doubt it'll have much of an impact on the overall Star Wars series, it was a fun twist in this trilogy.

Finally, there's the little revelation with I-Five.Some people seem to have enjoyed this addition to the book, but I think it ruined what was so great about I-Five.He was a droid who acted very human-like, even down to thinking and reasoning beyond the limits of a typical droid.Making him sentient and giving him a presence in the Force cheapened the character's appeal, in my opinion.Plus, I found it to be silly and unrealistic, even by Star Wars standards.

Where Reaves really excelled was the characterization and relationships between the characters.He seems to be very good at this when it comes to his own characters.By the end of the novel, I felt like I really knew Jax, Den, I-Five, Laranth, and even Probus Tesla.I didn't particularly care for Kajin, but I believe I've already said that.Laranth, in particular, was a favourite of mine.However, while the author did a fantastic job with his own characters, his portrayal of already established characters fell a bit short.

As for the entire Coruscant Nights trilogy, I wasn't impressed.Another reviewer commented that Reaves should stay out of Jedi lore, and I'm inclined to agree.I loved the Medstar duology and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, but this trilogy just didn't appeal to me.Reaves seems to work best when he's working with non-Jedi characters of his own creation...and that's what he should stick to.I commend him for attempting to put a new spin on the Jedi, but it didn't work and came off as being a bit silly.Not to mention, the portrayal and use of Darth Vader was pathetic.

The focus for the trilogy seemed to be characterization of Reaves's characters, and it succeeded in that aspect.Reaves fully developed his characters and made most of them very believable.I appreciated that as a reader.

However, the overall plot was weak...very weak.The author had the tendency to keep introducing shallow, new characters and halfhearted subplots instead of developing a strong main plot.I rather enjoyed the noir feel the books had, but it was lost without a strong plot to compliment it.

Overall, Patterns of the Force was a very weak book, especially as the finale to a trilogy.It came off as silly, rushed, and, frankly, not really thought out.It, and the rest of the trilogy, had great characterization of Reaves's own characters, but failed to portray Vader accurately.This is hardly the worst book or trilogy in the Star Wars series, but it's far from being one of them best.

Star Wars
great story, great series.a very imaginative group of characters.an excellent sub-plot to the original story.

Good series ends with a fizzle
Jedi Jax Pavan, a survivor of Order 66, now dwells in Coruscant's lower levels where he and a motley group of friends aid the fledgling resistance movement.Encountering a powerful Force adept named Kajim Savaros, Jax begins to train him--even though he know the Inquisitors are hunting the boy.As if his life weren't complicating enough, Jax is also approached to join in a plot to assassinate Emperor Palpatine.

Having enjoyed the previous two installments in the Coruscant Nights series, I was looking forward to an exciting finale.Sadly, the big showdown between Jax and Vader never materialized.

Instead of concentrating on tying up loose ends, the author introduces new characters who muddy the overall story arc.There isn't time to really develop these characters either, which is a pity because both Kajim and Inquisitor Probus Tesla had potential.

The book seems unfocused with dueling subplots that serve little purpose.The big revelations aren't much of a surprise and when Jax finally comes face to face with Vader the action sort of fizzles.

I did enjoy the smackdown between Kajim and the Inquisitors, and as always, supporting character Dun Dhur, a wise-cracking ex-journalist, I-5YQ, a sentient droid, and Laranth Tarak, a Grey Paladin, were fascinating.I'd love to see the Gary Paladins, offshoots of the Jedi tradition, explored further.

Bottom line, Patterns of Force has a lot of great concepts and characters, but failed to deliver on the epic battle the cover promises.

2.75 stars. ... Read more

Product Description

"Sacred duty, yadda yadda."
-- Buffy Summers

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always held an irreverent attitude toward her calling, but ultimately she understands the ramifications of her destiny and is prepared to die to protect the world from Evil. In fact, she has died. Twice.
"I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, another is called."
-- Buffy Summers

It's an ancient tradition, steeped in lore, mythology, and fateful prophecies. Slayerdom consists of a Council of Watchers, a continuum of slayers, an archive of journals, and even a handbook.

"Handbook? What handbook? How come I didn't have a handbook?"
-- Buffy Summers

But first and foremost, it begins with a girl. One girl in all the world. A Chosen One. Now, catch up on other Slayers past and present, in the second short-story collection, Tales of the Slayer, Vol. 2!

"[Another] Slayer? I knew this, 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one,' thing was just an attention getter."
-- Xander Harris

With contributions from Scott Allie, Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens, Greg Cox, Kara Dalkey, Jane Espenson, Rebecca Rand Kirshner, Todd McIntosh, Michael Reaves, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Super Reader
An improvement on the last book, this set of stories is bookended by two Buffy tales. Here we have a pirate slayer, a samurai slayer, a slayer that encounters both Springheeled Jack and Dracula, and works with a group of friends.

A little bit more of the fun here, as some of the slayers are more successful, especially one that is a union soldier with the support of a general and his armaments.

Tales of the Slayer 2 : 01 All That You Do Comes Back Unto Thee Sunnydale California 2000 - Todd A. McIntosh
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 02 Lady Shobu Sagami Province Japan 980 - Kara Dalkey
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 03 Abomination Beauport Brittany France 1320 - Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 04 Blood and Brine The Caribbean 1661 - Greg Cox
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 05 The Ghosts of Slayers Past London England 1843 - Scott Allie
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 06 The New Watcher Atlanta Georgia 1864 - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 07 House of the Vampire London England 1897 - Michael Reaves
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 08 The War Between the States New York Ciry New York 1922 - Rebecca Rand Kirshner
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 09 Stakeout on Rush Street Chicago Illinois 1943 - Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens
Tales of the Slayer 2 : 10 Again Sunnydale California 1999 - Jane Esperson


Magic boy's mummy mistake.

3.5 out of 5


Bored Japanodemonslayer.

3.5 out of 5


Domestic decision dooms slayer.

3 out of 5


Pirate captain slayer crossdresses, lacks parrot, then hand. Captain Krakenhook?

4 out of 5


Snob Watcher.

2.5 out of 5


Union general supports his non-regular soldier.

4 out of 5


Dracula and Van Helsing leads to Scooby gang shutdown, Springheeled Jack still on the loose.

4 out of 5


Sally seeks showbusiness, finds Slayer instead.

3 out of 5


Slayer spells it out for Nitti.

3.5 out of 5


Scooby gang retro.

2.5 out of 5

Another good book
This is the type of book I get a little sad when I get near the end. Must read!

1 of the best Buffy books
This is 1 of my favorite books ever, 1 f my favorite story lines was Blood and Brine I loved the pirate slayer. My favorite story in this book was the last 1 where Buffy, Willow, and Xander go back in time I loved the fact that Buffy got to see her mom again and that she wasn't stuck with Dawn for once. I think that when the show brought Dawn on the show and killed Buffy's mom is when they ruint Buffy, from the 5th season on the show slowly went downhill. I HIGHLY recommend this book it is definitely the best Buffy book in the series.

I loved this Book..........
I've always love BTVS because of the Mythology of the Slayer line and how she's Chosen and all of that, I also love the characters and how they're written so well.....But i've often wondered about Past Slayers, what they were like, and what their life was like because as we've always known, Buffy is just one of many Slayers throughout the Years. I loved this Book and how it told about Different Slayers from Different Era's and how that particular Era effected their Duty as the Slayer.
I've seen other Reviews where people ask what good a 'Pirate' Slayer would be and if you really think about it, all of the Vampires that Migrate from country too country more than likely use Ships too Travel in because of the Dark Rooms beneath the Surface, she could stop that from happening.
My Favorite story in this book was probably "Stake out on Rush Street", among a few other's....I also liked the one about the Civil War Slayer and the one about the Slayer who fought Dracula........
I thought it was a very good book and I recommend it to other fans of Buffy and especially Fans of the Buffy Books.

Not as good as the first
It felt like it took me forever to finish this book. The stories were not as well written as the first book and it wasn't as interesting. The only highslight stories were Again written by Jane Espenson and Abonmination by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Mertz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Henry County, Georgia: A Wonderful Supplement
Although not a detailed history, this 78-page book is full of interesting historical facts and both new and old photos.I am working on a family genealogy that includes ancestors from Henry County, Georgia.There are many Henry Counties in this country, but I recognized the photo on the cover as the Courthouse of Henry County in Georgia.There are no family histories in the book, but there is a wealth of information about the formation of the county, the geography, agriculture, industry, churches, and culture.If you have family with connections to Henry County, Georgia, this book will provide a glimpse of what life might have been like in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Unfinished, Brilliant Work
It's hard for me to put down my feelings about this novel.I first read it fifteen years ago when I was still in high school, and I promised myself someday I'd track down the other volumes in the trilogy and finish the story.This summer I ordered the non-anthology, non-Star Wars novels written by Michael Reeves from Amazon.This novel was amazing enough that I wanted to know what happened fourteen years later, AND it made me want read what else Reeves has done.

What did I remember about "The Burning Realm" that stuck with for over a decade?A tenth order orange magic starbust called the Devastator.Triskendelka, Lady of Bats.The monstrosities living in fragement of Xoth.The fate of a Cloakfighter.That I really wanted to know what happened before and after this novel.

"The Shattered World," is the first novel in the series, and it exceeded my expectations.It was better than "The Burning Realm," and written in the same style too.I've never found another fantasy work that captures an ambiance similar to what the this novel and it's predecessor evokes, in part because Reeves uses obscure words that *sound* like they belong in a fantasy novel.Editors of today would probably cut them, but they worked for me.Totally added to the story experiences.

Despite my search, and my hopes, there is no sequel.The ending leaves off with a holocaust on the horizon.No solution has been found for the Runestones of the World Fragments decaying in magic power.I'm not giving anything away, as this is basically the impetus for the original meeting of the characters in "The Shattered Realm."The original plot.I want to know how this story ends, and I don't think I ever will.

The plot was five stars, pacing is excellent.Characterization is subsumed in part by the action, but it is there.Parts of me want to give this novel a one star because I absolutely hate that I'll never know what happens in the never written final book.It's got four because I realize waiting years hoping to finish this story means I liked it.

As for whether or not you should buy it?It is brilliant fantasy action.It is unfinished.You've been warned.

Lovers Parted by Demons
The Burning Realm (1988) is the second Fantasy novel in The Shattered World series.In the previous volume, Pandrogas has found the Necromancer and learned both his true history and his source of magic.While saving Pandrogas and Amber, Beorn has shapechanged too long and lost himself to his bear persona.Pandrogas and Amber take Beorn's bear-form to Tamboriyon and set him free in the forest.They agree to part for a commonyear, Pandrogas to return to Darkhaven to guide the new students of necromancy and Amber to stay on Tamboriyon to learn how to use her own powers.

In this novel, the commonyear has passed and both Pandrogas and Amber prepare for their rendezvous.Pandrogas takes ship from Darkhaven, but is intercepted by Trisandela, the Lady of Bats.Amber has obtained the rank of Conjuress in the Taggyn Saer system and is uncertain about her feelings for Pandrogas, but returns to the meeting place.When she arrives, Pandrogas is not there and does not come that day.After some soul searching, Amber leaves Tamboriyon to hunt for him.

Meanwhile, Kan Konar, cloakfighter from Typor's Fist, has escaped from the web of Zhormallion, the Spider Lord, on Xoth.After reaching the surface, he cannot find his cloak (which has been claimed by Tahrynyar) but does find a damaged dragonship, a chase boat from one of the huge hunting ships.He hears someone, or something, coming and hides within the boat, which is hurled into the Abyss by a cacodemon.After a while, he comes out and looks around, only to find the Lady of the Bats in the boat with him.He learns that she has eased his escape after he has freed himself from the web.Apparently she is just playing Chton politics.

Mirren, a werewolf and thief, has survived the sinking of a ship from the tsunami caused by a lesser fragment plunging into the Ythan Ocean on Rhynne. She washes ashore on a small island with an abandoned wizard's tower, former home of Stonebrow, deceased leader of the Circle.She finds seawater stains, fish, and damp everywhere from the tsunami, but also some dry food and clothing.She gathers some money and jewelry and convinces a pair of would-be plunderers to take her to the mainland.

Kyra is an assassin on Zarhenna who bungles an assignment.When Mirren applies to be an assassin, Kyra is assigned as her instructor.Since this is a demotion in status, Kyra is determined to make Mirren into a successful assassin.However, Mirren also bungles her first assignment and flees from the Guild With No Name into the labyrinth of Chton tunnels within the fragment.Kyra is given an final assignment, find and kill Mirren or never come back.

This novel is a mystery quest with several storylines.Most are soon intertwined with the Lady of Bats in her effort to dominate the Chtons.However, Trisandela's plan encounters a setback as a third party joins the competition for Chton leadership.

Recommended for Reaves fans and anyone else who enjoys high sorcery and low politics, with a smidgen of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Review of "The Burning Realm"
In this sequel to "The Shattered World", Reaves once again takes us back to a world literally torn apart, whose fragments have been set in a precarious, decaying orbit by the efforts of long-dead sorcerers.One sorcerer, Pangrogas, seeks to master the art of Necromancy to save these fragments, while becoming embroiled in the plots of the Chthons - ancient demonic enemies of Mankind.

This sequel doesn't live up to the high standards set forth in the original, with somewhat underdeveloped and predictable characters, but Reaves still spins a good yarn.I recommend it for most fantasy or sword-and-sorcery fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Awesome innovative book series lets you live out childhood dream!
Ya...pretty much. These kind of books were revolutionary...because who ever heard of a story book, of any kind, with multiple endings based on choices you made during your reading.

I loaned this book for the first time from the school library when i was in elementary school. It was a hard back version, and i remember i never wanted to give it back....but i did.

It was amazing. I felt like i was so involved while reading this. It really does a lot for your imagination, especially at a time when the idea of being a ninja or a samurai was so exciting. Apart from reading actual books on the topic, a book like this was an escape like no other when it came to reading haha.

This was like my favorite book ever. I remember i found out about it because my older brother read it and had got it from our school library, so i couldnt wait to get my hands on it and turns out that it didnt disappoint. Sure, you can play a video game with a ninja or samurai character, or even watch a film, cuz theres lots. But theres something unique and special about a book on the topic.

I havent read it in forever, and until now, i didnt know there were copies of the book for sale on Amazon, so im really excited. I cant wait to save a couple dollars to buy this gem.

The book has some illustrations in it too, every now and then, not too many though. And i must say, the cover art is sweet. Just look at it. I always loved the cover art. But anyways...this is my favorite book, when it comes to fiction, and i hardly read fiction, cuz its hard to stay focused on a story i guess that never took place haha, but this topic always kept my interest, even today.

Maybe when i read this one again perhaps ill finally be able to conjure up enough attentiveness to take on my copy of James Clavell's epic novel...."SHOGUN"!!! lol

A MUST BUY. AND I HOPE THEY REISSUE THIS!!!!! I WANT THE HARDBACK VERSION!

HISTORICAL CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE
As a kid, I was a huge fan of the Time Machine series. They were like the Choose Your Own Adventure series, but so much better because of the following reasons: 1- Almost all of them are based on FACT. This book mentions A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS by famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. As it turns out, that book actually exists, as did the author. This book also mentions how Musashi died in a cave towards the end of his life--also true. 2- Instead of CYOA, you get to pick one or two of several items to take with you on your quest. Depending what you took with you will determine what action you have to take later on. 3- The books are illustrated. 4- To add more educational value, timelines and other neat stuff are enclosed towards the beginning. 5- Basically, the storyline to this books is this: You go back in time to accomplish the following mission: bring back Miyamoto Musashi's sword. You can try and steal it or just ask for it. It sounds easy, but it's not. I highly recommend not just this book, but this whole series for its wholesomeness, fun, and educational value. Many books try and be accurate, enjoyable, and educational, but this book SUCCEEDS. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the second of a mass-market original "Star Wars" duology in which Mash meets the Clone Wars, as a small group of medics, including Jedi Bariss Offee, struggles to save lives amidst impossible circumstances. The fifth of six original "Star Wars" novels set against the backdrop of the Clone Wars, taking place between the events of "Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones" and the upcoming and final "Star Wars" movie, "Episode III." Author Bio: Michael Reaves is a screenwriter who has written, story-edited, and/or produced hundreds of teleplays for various television series, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "The Twilight Zone", "Sliders", and "Monsters". He was also a story editor and writer on "Batman: The Animated Series", for which he won an Emmy Award for writing in 1993. He has worked for Spielberg's "DreamWorks", among other studios, and is the author of several fantasy novels and supernatural thrillers. He is also the author of "Hell on Earth", and, along with John Pelan, edited the "Shadows Over Baker Street" anthology (Del Rey, 09/03). Michael Reaves makes his home in Los Angeles.Steve Perry was born and raised in the deep south and has lived in Louisiana, California, Washington and Oregon. He is currently the science fiction, fantasy, and horror book reviewer for "The Oregonian". He has published dozens of stories, as well as a considerable number of novels, animated teleplays, non-fiction articles, reviews and essays. He wrote for "Batman: The Animated Series" during its first Emmy Award-winning season, authored the "NY Times" bestseller "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire", and also did the bestselling novelization for the blockbuster movie "Men in Black". ... Read more

Product Description
As the corpses of would-be actors with wooden stakes driven through their hearts, severed heads, and garlic-stuffed mouths are discovered, it becomes clear to Los Angelos police detective Jake Hull that a killer who believes he is hunting vampires is on the prowl. Reprint. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best Horror Novel of 1995
Simply, the novel had everything I want in an excellent novel.Good pacing, real characters with flaws, excellent transitions, dark humor, original plot with internal logic that isn't stupid, and an ending that wrapped everything up.

The first two chapters may be rough, as the detective-hero is very cynical and despairing.It gets better.

The plot -- murders are occuring whereby people are killed like vampires should be.A clove of garlic in their mouth and a wooden stake shoved through their beating hearts.Is this really the work of a demented serial killer, or is something more sinister going on?

Normally I enjoy fantasy novels the more than horror, (and the novel does deserve the classification of horror) but Night Hunter just grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.

I consider this a masterpiece of horror, suspense and writing, and recommend you buy it.

Vampires in La-La Land, with a twist
The Night Hunter is the second novel in a series of urban fantasies based on different magic traditions, but with a twist.Moreover, these stories are all hard-boiled mysteries.This novel invokes the tradition of life-stealing vampires.

Jake Hull is a detective in the LAPD who is assigned a case where the victim has been stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake.Immediately the newspapers start crying "vampire hunter".Jake co-opts a younger uniformed policeman to assist when the pressure comes down to catch themurderer before the media goes bonkers.When the "vampire hunter" strikes again, Jake also co-opts a female Medical Examiner to help.

This novel plays heavily on the Hollywood tradition of vampire movies, but ultimately strikes out on its own.Note the references to the Midnight Star and Ed Thayer from Street Magic.

Recommended for Reaves fans and anyone who enjoys a good horror story that acknowledges the Hollywood tradition without being confined by it.

-Arthur W. Jordin

one of my favorite books
NIGHT HUNTER is one of the rare books that I read beginning to end in a short amount of time. I finished it in just two days, and it only took two days because I got distracted with something else. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. Michael Reaves did an excellent job making Det. Jake Hull feel like a real character who was really burned out by his job. The story moved at a nice pace and was a constant page-turner. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Several interesting characters, some suspenseful scenes, a very surprising (and cool) explanation for everything, and an exciting climax (which could have been just a bit longer) made for one of the more exciting books I've read in a recent years. I'd love to see a film version. A+

Hunt for a better book
This one really drags.The characters are all stereotypes moving through a milieu of Los Angeles street life that reads as if it were lifted straight from movies about Los Angeles street life.All of this could beforgiven if it moved quickly and was done with style.However, there wastoo much uninteresting characterization and hardly any action at all. ... Read more