Customer Reviews (1)

Anti-entertainment
This is a spinoff of the long-running ULTIMA series of computer games.Unfortunately, it doesn't tie close enough with Ultima mythology to please fans, while at the same time not explaining things well enough for newcomers.

The main characters are all pretty unlikable.One unsympathetic protagonist is fine; four or five turns the book into an exercise in masochism.

There's really very little adventuring.Most of the text is devoted to the same argument rehashed multiple times, or to long, repetitive slogs through the muddy countryside, or to calming the panicky horse yet again.

Avoid this; I don't recommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Linear for a change
As an idea for a series of anthologies, Thieves' world was a unique concept. By this point it has reached the 8th book and it is suffering a bit. I guess maybe that is why Abbey and Asprin (the editors) decided to play a bit with the format. In previous editions, there were many short stories around a common theme. Every author, however, had the right to look at slightly different events, or even picture the same events from a different angle. This was entertaining and unique.

This volume is very linear. In essence the story line was agreed upon and each of the three contributors provided two chapters that carried the storyline forward. Of course, the fact that there were only three contributors could be a sign of the withering of this concept as previous volumes had as many as ten contributors!

The storyline here is all about the enmity between the two female witches in town - Ischade and Roxane. For reasons unknown to anyone, the rest of the groups in Sanctuary choose sides and Roxane is being attacked. This book examines the impacts of the magical and common attacks that take place as the two women work to destroy each other. Since everyone in Sanctuary is involved, the gods themselves manage to intervene and ever higher powers are invoked leading to some new and powerful beings being summoned from regions that they've never left before.

The battle takes place in all kinds of places including the mind and soul of Niko. Ultimately, nothing is really resolved as to destroy any of the main characters would bring this series to a screeching halt so it is not satisfying at all.

A question that I kept pondering as I read this book was about how it evolved. In the early days, Tempus was one of several Hell-Hounds and Enos Yarl and Hakim played prominent roles. Since then we've found out that Tempus is much more than a simple mercenary, but this volume has no mention of any of the previous magicians. Neither Enos Yarl, nor Hakim, nor even the limner make an appearance even though they are all supposedly involved in the affaris of the city at high levels.

Some of the fantasy that is woven here is very dark and even meta-physical. The whole battleground being a meadow that represents Niko's soul was quite beyond me and not very pleasurable to read. Ultimately, as I said, nothing really gets resolved and all the deaths and magical energy being expended leads to nothing at all.

This lack of focus and progression is why I downgraded the book as well as the series. It appears to have lost its aim and is simply meandering around.

Not the best of the series.
In Book 8 there is a lot of wrapping up going on. Many threads regarding Roxane and Jihan are closed (or are they?). Tempus returns to Sanctuary and is reunited with Niko as his partner.

The Thieves World books are always at their best when they are slowly building to a climax using the small stories of the Maze and palace that the various writers do so well. The relay format does not work as well at crafting a single climax point. The result is not bad, exactly, but it reads like a more typical fantasy series installment. One of the nice thing about Thieves World at its best is that it does not read like that at all. There were also some very nice plot points opened up in Book 7 that are completely ignored here-- a little bit of continuity with some of those elements would have been nice.

Lynn Abbey, Janet Morris and C.J. Cherryh were the writers in book 8. As you can imagine, begin at the beginning and not here if you have not read any of the books before. ... Read more

Product Description
Ansoain has been murdered, and her son Galimer taken hostage.

Druhallen, a young magic user, must avenge the murder of his teacher and rescue her son from a dubious fate. But not everyone is telling Druhallen the truth.

Druhallen and his companions must brave the ruins of Dekanter to find a missing artifact . . . the Nether Scroll.

Without the Nether Scroll Galimer may die. With it Druhallen may go mad.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

"We're here to steal a golden scroll. Burn them." (p.180)
The Nether Scroll is set in the south-western reaches of the Anarauch desert where the Zhentarim reign supreme. The book describes the story of an unlikely group of adventurers consisting of a human female fighter, a human male wizard (who happens to be her ex-), a human male thief (who is her adopted son), and a goblin (who works for a mysterious lady-of-the-forest and who happens to be holding the female's husband, the wizard's best friend, and the thief's step-father) as they venture into an abandoned by the Netherese mine complex in search of an ancient scroll.
The Nether Scroll is the last in a series of four novels (known as the Lost Empires series and which includes The Lost Library of Cormanthyr, Faces of Deception, and Star of Cursrah) that deal with the secrets of four of Toril's long lost ancient civilizations.
The book starts off with a bang and then it's downhill all the way to the end...
In short, the book is so darn boring! Although Lynn Abbey seems to indicate that she has a grasp of essential knowledge relevant to Faerun, she doesn't do much with it. The adventure is mostly a wilderness adventure focusing on wizards, but misses out in providing that insight vis-à-vis the everyday life of a wizard with the exception of the following quote: "Wizards trained their memories the way warriors sharpened their swords and merchants counted their coins." (p.178) Aside from that, the only other notable phrases/quotes worth salvaging from this novel is a good description of zombies: "The zombie's face was fully skeletal, and flesh hung in tatters from its long bones," (p.11) and the truth that lies within the following words: "...there'd never been a slave-trade that didn't rely on the cooperation of some element within the enslaved population."(p.171)
Instead, Lynn Abbey provides for a bland story, bland dialogues, and bland (and let me add "weak and unlikable") characters. An utterly useless thief that goes adventuring with his step mother and her ex-, a wizard (Dru) who used to go out with the party's fighter (Rozt'a) only to walk out on her, which lands her marrying her ex's best friend, sounds like a second, if not third rate soap opera.
In addition, the author burdens us with an annoying goblin named Sheemzher who is a cross between Gollum from LOTR and Dobby from Harry Potter! Why, Lynn??? What made you think it is remotely amusing or necessary? A pet goblin, really...
Furthermore, reading the book at times felt like watching/playing a video/pc game, while the characters' entry into the mines was reminiscent of LOR and Baldur's Gate, which was kind of interesting.
Finally, enough with the "What's cut stays cut" over and over and over again!
In conclusion, The Nether Scroll was a disappointing way to bring the series to an end, especially after reading the third novel in line, Star of Cursrah, which was amazing. Nevertheless, the book's interesting mention of Zhentil Keep politics (Manshoon and Sememmon) and the encounters with goblins, Zhentarim, Red Wizards, Otyugh, and zombies prevents it from being a total waste. 2.5 Stars

Definitely to be forgotten!
I wanted to like this book! It started out with the promise of really bad villains and dramatic discoveries that may answer some questions of how the Nethiril Empire developed. With the introduction of some lackluster characters, and the same sort of villainous dudes seen before, I seen some potential for a really good adventure. What a let down!

I would give spoilers but there is very little left to spoil. The plot spirals unoriginally out of control, using elements from Tolkein galore. The little goblin uses dialog identical to Gollum. The whole purpose of the Nether scroll goal is very disappointing. By the time these cardboard character find them, I didnt care. Maybe, Netherise Arcanist showed up and zapped this author for nearly sinking the my enthusiasm for this series.

There have been some good, mediocre and bad Forgotten Realms books. This gets my vote as the worst of all. Fortunately, Wizards of the Coast regrouped its talent search and found some writers who actually may like contributing to the vast epic of the Forgotten Realms. The direction Lynn Abbey was taking it was down, indeed things looked a little dark at that time. Wizards inherited some talented writers; Greenwood, Salvatore, and Cunningham. In fact, I am going to explore some of thier new writers. Things could not get any worse than the Nether Scroll!

Not the best of the Realms, but not bad either
The Lost Empires series is a series of stand alone novels featuring empires of old that have been lost only to searched out and found again for various reasons.

While this book is certainly not the best that the Forgotten Realms has to offer, it's certainly not the worst either. For thos familiar witht he Realms this is a nice book to pick up as it gives some history and lore about the Nethril empire. For those not familiar witht he Realms this book will seem like a waste of time.

I would recommend this book only if you enjoy Forgotten Realms books and have a decent understanding of what goes on there.

Enjoyable
The Nether Scroll is disapointing to most of Lynn Abbey's fans as it is certainly not her best work. But it is still an enjoyable read. I finished it rather quickly and it kept my attention.

What a stinker
Reading this book was like being force fed a food that makes you want to vomit.You don't want to continue, but you really have no choice unless you want to waste 6 bucks.There are some nice points to the book, the female warrior was nice, and the things the mage learned from the scroll should have been expounded upon sooner as it was the only real item of interest in the whole dang book.As it is the writing was slow and the majority of characters were uninteresting.I can say I will never reread this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

More Sanctuary stories
AAAHHH! Some thing is finally happening in Sanctuary that makes sense! The Beysib invasion that was almost a non-event in the previous volume is finally generating the expected results. The Ranke empire has sent its third commando unit to Sanctuary to help take it back from the Beysib. The third commando is commanded by Kama who we find out is Tempus's daughter. Oh goody, goody! finally some sense.

Wait, what are Ischade and Roxanne doing battling each other and over what? Why does Ischade need unqualified stepsons to help her out? What's with this Zip character who in some stories is a disillusioned, callow, youth and in others is such a great leader of a revolutionary army that all the other factions in Sanctuary bow to him?

As usual with Thieves' World books, the format of the book is both its strength and its weakness. Strength in that the stories are imaginative and its very interesting to see different takes on the various denizens. Weak because we get no consistent treatment of characters. Some do not show up at all; others get short shrift; and some play major roles all of a sudden.

In this volume we also learn a bit more about the Beysib. Now, it is no longer enough to denigrate them as "fish-eyes" we actually read a story about the developing relationship between a male and female Beysib. Unfortunately, Hanse Shadowspawn appears and appears to go crazy! Oh well, there is more to come, obviously.

More of what one expects
Wings of Omen, the sixth in the Thieves' World series, brings more of what one expects from the series.Featuring 8 stories from talented authors (including Asprin, Lynn Abbey, Diana Paxson, and C.J. Cherryh), Wings moves the town of Sanctuary into an open guerilla conflict on the street.Like the other Thieves' World books, the format of different stories occurring in the same location has strengths and weaknesses.On the one hand, it is intersting to see the different perspectives each writer brings.On the other hand, interesting ideas generated by one writer or poorly followed up, or not at all.Too, there have been so many authors writing about so many characters that a glossary has become a must to keep track of who is whom.Nevertheless, Wings of Omen is an enjoyable, if somewhat dark and depressing at times, read. ... Read more

Product Description
Nelson Doubleday hardcover with dust jacket. Published exclusively by and for the Science Fiction Book Club, first edition. SFBC #5138, 600 pages, cover art by Walter Valez. 8vo (8.5" x 5.75") This is the first and only hardcover edition. It collects the first three Thieves' World anthologies, originally published in paperback: Thieves' World, Tales From the Vulgar Unicorn, and Shadows of Sanctuary. Contains 22 stories of heroic fantasy including: The Gate of the Flying Knives, by Poul Anderson; Blood Brothers; by Joe Haldeman; Looking for Satan, by Vonda N. McIntyre; The Secret of the Blue Star, by Marion Zimmer Bradley; Myrtis, by Christine DeWees; The Price of Doing Business, by Robert Asprin; Shadowspawn, by Andrew J. Offutt; Shadow's Pawn, by Andrew J. Offutt; The Face of Chaos, by Lynn Abbey; Sentences of Death, by John Brunner; To Guard the Guardians, by Robert Asprin; Vashanka's Minion, by Janet Morris; The Dream of the Sorceress, by A. E. van Vogt; The Fruit of Enlibar, by Lynn Abbey; Goddess, by David Drake; Spiders of the Purple Mage, by Philip José Farmer; A Man and His God, by Janet Morris; Then Azyuna Danced, by Lynn Abbey; The Rhinoceros and the Unicorn, by Diana L. Paxson; The Vivisectionist, by Andrew J. Offutt; A Gift in Parting, by Robert Asprin; Ischade, by C. J. Cherryh. Also includes maps of Thieves' World, introductions, and essays. Not ex-library, not a remainder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Tales from Thieves World
I have managed to collect all the titles belonging to this series and look after them as if they were gold dust since it is very unlikely that they will be released in their entirety again, though we can hope!

Thieves World is a joint effort from many world class writers who each designed their characters and entered them into Sanctuary to live on as best they could. Enas Yorl, Tempus, Lythande, Shadowspawn, Jubal and others are some of the main players in Sanctuary, whose writers cooperated in bringing forth a stratified medieval town containing stray and not so stray gods, magic and myth, murder and mayhem. I don't know another series that can touch it for novella noir! Dark, gritty, occasionally moving, comedic, sad. Wait until the vivisectionist visits town to see Tempus and Shadowspawn enter a new relationship. No one is everything they seem and most are less than they seem. The trouble is some are more than they seem and its hard to tell the difference when your throat in danger of being cut.

Grab the titles when you see them, they are worth it.

Satisfactory
This book's condition was as described. Ordered on June 7th, I was told to expect delivery by June 29th, this purchase arrived on the 19th.I would do business with this seller again.

good book, wish there were more
We read this book many years ago, but lost it so we were elated when we found it again, Book is in good condition and the seller did a good job with it.

Your money and your life...
Sanctuary, also known as Thieves' World, is the darkest, seediest, most dangerous city in the Rankan Empire.And this hardcover holds the first three books, 22 stories, of the people, places and, yes somethimes things, that live, kill and rob within the dark, trash filled streets.Drink at the Vulgar Unicorn, sell information to the Hell-Hounds, sneak into the Maze for some fun and choas and, if you dare, pick a fight with a God.If you have any money after that you could always buy a piece of fun, wink wink, with one of the ladies of the night.
Once you're in the city walls you'll very likely never want to leave!

Inspiring and Contagious!
I picked up this little, actually rather large book, at the library and became intrigued at first by its title: Sanctuary. The picture on the front depicted people of a time long ago, in a medievil setting...even more interested, I flipped through a bit. Hmmm...three books in one. I must say, this is the most interesting anthology that I have ever read...you get the feeling as you read along, with all of the different perspectives of so many authors, that the story just came together at the end brilliantly.

Sanctuary is basically a medievil town, as I have stated, and a bad one, at that.Filled with thieves and killers, it is not a place you want to live.However, the people who live there hold a kind of sympathic love for the city, and are very irritated when a young prince comes to rule over their land.

A marvelous first short story introduces us to Enas Yorl, a mighty magician with a terrible curse. Is he good, or evil, or neither...interestingly enough, he is depicted as both sensual, and downright disgusting...if that can make any sense without giving the story away. Anyhow, he is an extremely interesting character who will make many more appearances as you read on. Unfortunately for Jarveena, she kind of falls out of the story, so do not get too attached to her! You will, however, also meet Illyra and Dubro, who are vital occupants of Sanctuary. Again, you get different versions of them from different authors, but they are basically harmless, but still rather important.

This is also the first introduction to the charachter of Molin Torchholder. You will love to hate him, even though he is a supposed man of the cloth. However, the gods in Sanctuary are quite different than the gods that are revered today. Remember, this town is very medievil, and even a bit mythological, as well.

In my opinion, one of the most important, if not the most important, character of this series is introduced in the fourth story, Shadowspawn, or Hanse the thief. A brilliant example of why females love the bad boys! Oh, how we do love their soft and vulnerable sides. Just read about him and you will also fall in love instantly!

Than, of course, their is the mage, Lythande, who holds a heavy secret in order to be a part of the Blue Stars. What will become of him in stories to come?

All in all, I think the authors worked really hard at bringing an illusionary world to life. The characters are all amazing, not to mention the extra twist you get from seeing the other authors points of view on some of the more important characters. A great read, indeed, you will be begging for more of that desolite town!

Tales From the Vulgar Unicorn is is a great continuation! I love the fact that we start off with such a vivid story about the purple mage. Masha is introduced here, for the first and last time, but that's okay, she was a strong woman, and one well worth reading about! The effects of this story will also be seen later on in further stories...

In the next story, we learn a little more about the gods and goddesses of Sanctuary. Interesting indeed, but the characters are all pretty much new, and only really belonging to this one chapter.

However, in the following story we are introduced to Illyra again, yipee...and we also learn a little more about the ever powerful god, Vashanka...he is definately a naughtly little god if I ever read about one! Up to no good, for sure! We also learn about his sister Azyuna, and all of this will be very important in chapters to come.

Most importantly, in my eyes, is that we meet up with Hanse again, but not only that, we also meet perhaps the most pivotal character in Tempus. You will love him, you will hate him, but you just cannot turn away from him no matter what. This man will having you thinking, believe me, and if he were real, he would have either your undying love, or your utmost hatred. He is a very specail character, indeed.

This second series was fantastic, and if you loved Thieve's World and want to see what else your favorite people have been up to, please, I urge you to continue on!

Finally, in Shadows of Sanctuary, all of the loose ends start coming together.All of the great characters we have learned to love will finally allow us to view their inner consciousness, if at all possible.You will revel in them, you will hunger for more, you will wish you had a Hanse or a Tempus in your own life.You will also meet more despicable characters than you ever thought imaginable, but it's all well worth it!Take a walk through Sanctuary and then let your mind soak in all that you have read...it really is like delving through the human pysche!





... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Anthology...
Storm Season by Robert Asprin,
Exercise in Pain by Robert Asprin,
Downwind by C.J. Cherryh,
A Fugitive Art by Diana L. Paxson,
Steel by Lynn Abbey,
Wizard Weather by Janet Morris,
Godson by Andrew J. Offutt,

The Face of Chaos by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey,
Introduction by Robert Asprin,
High Moon by Janet Morris,
Necromant by C.J. Cherryh,
The Art of Alliance by Robert Asprin,
The Corners of Memory by Lynn Abbey,
Votary by David Drake,
Mirror Image by Diana L. Paxson,

Wings of Omen by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey,

What Women Do Best by Chris and Janet Morris,
Daughter of the Sun by Robin W. Bailey,
A Breath of Power by Diana L. Paxson,
The Hand That Feeds You by Diana Duane,
Witching Hour by C.J. Cherryh,
Rebels Aren't Born in Palaces by Andrew J. Offutt,
Gyskouras by Lynn Abbey,
A Fish With Feathers Is Out of His Depth by Robert Asprin.
... Read more

Product Description
The much-feared sorcerer-king of Urik, Hamanu joins a plot to force a transmutation that will allow him to avoid his own corruption but that will destroy all of Urik in the process. Original. 65,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent Read
A wonderful book. Once again, Lynn Abbey tells a wonderful story with great characters and an extremely engaging plot. This book certainly sheds a lot of light onto the Dragonkings and on Athas. Highly recommended.

One of the best fantasy books
I would put this in my top list of fantasy books. It was amazing. You start the book, thinking you'll read a chapter and do something else. But the story of a boy coming of age, becoming a monster, and finally seeking redemption was just too good to let go of.

One thing I'll always remember was my sister reading this book, and then screaming when the doorbell rang because she wanted to finish the novel instead of going out with her friends.

A moving, meaningful close to "Dark Sun"
Lynn Abbey's book seems to end the "Dark Sun" chronology. The author is most concerned with character and motivation. We originally met Hamanu in the Prism Pentad, as a harsh tyrant and brutal defender of his city. In later novels and stories, his relationship with the land's protectors, and his humility and overall deep sadness were explored. Lynn Abbey creates a past and a set of motivations for Hamanu which (in the context of this make-believe world) are credible and profoundly moving. The dictators of our own world (both right-wing and left-wing) claim (if pressed) that they must suppress freedoms to maintain security and prosperity for their people. Are they sincere? Are they correct? I don't know. But Hamanu finds himself in their position, and struggles (as perhaps they do) with its implications. The struggle is the theme of this book. And in the end, he recovers his humanity, both literally and spiritually.

Excuse Me!?!?!?!?! This Book SUCKED!!!!!!
Did any of you actually read this book????? AS a big fan of the Dark Sun World,I found this book to be a MAJOR letdown.Lynn Abbey threw all the established rules and history of Athas and dragons out the window to make this garbage,the plot makes no sense,her desription of Hamanu's past makes no sense(for one thing in the book she says he is only 1000 years old,but he is at least 2000 years old because thats when he helped lock Rajaat up!!!).The woman obviously read the history of Athas,but she ignored it when she wrote this book and that I just can't get by.

SO if you love Athas and it's sorcerer-kings,DON'T READ THIS BOOK!!!

excellent book!!
Lynn Abbey does a very remarkable job of bringing us behind the scenes of being a sorcer-king. I think this was the last Dark Sun book written and I had already read all the others. Abbey shows that Hamanu is not necessarilyevil but is more a victim of circumstances than anything else. I also gottaadmit I really like the names Lynn came up with such as Gallard Bane ofGnomes, Ogre-Naught, Myron Troll-Scorcher, etc. Unfortunately it seems WoTChas ended Dark Sun. I'm gonna write em and ask why because I think Dark Sunhas excellent potential. I wanna see more of Sorak, Just-Plain Pavek,Sadira and Rikus. ... Read more

Product Description
After finding himself the odd man out in a palace conspiracy, a templar exiles himself from the court and joins forces with an outlaw band of clerics that may be tied to the corrupt Veiled Alliance. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great read over and over again.
This book is without a doubt my favorite in all the Dark Sun books. Pavek is a memorable and very human character and deals very human-ly with everything he comes up against. The reader really feels for him and his companions throughout the entire book.

Entralling experience
I love this book.The main character, Pavek, is a memorable fellow right down to his snarly lip.The problems he faces are both interesting and entertaining.The book has that street sense theme to it as it smoothly leads you from the surface of the city into the frightening secrets of the underground world.Another bonus to this book is it doesn't have thosegrey areas that seem to take longer to read because of lack of interest.Ithink ... why not take a journey to Lynn's city of Urik.Youwon't regret it!

The best of the Dark Sun books...
The best of the Dark Sun books to be published, though not the best of Abbey's own work. Possibly because of TSR guidelines, but who really knows? The book is still enjoyable, and with the exception of Abbey's sequals (of which The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King is the best, surpassing even this) the only Dark Sun book that captures the world it was set in.

The book features Pavek as its hero, and while a jaded, depressed, lost templar, he is a likable hero--a stark change from the farm boys who will be king, blah, blah, blah... You understand. And he has his good sides and bad, which is another change for books shot out of the cannon by TSR.

I won't go into details of the plot, since most are simplistic enough as they are, but I read the whole thing in one sitting: which says that I didn't want to put it down and turn on the TV instead. The style is Abbey's own, the characters are working well, and the dialogue is crisp--all a plus, and all making it a good read.

And Hamanu is excellent.

He alone is worth the price of admission (which is why the Rise and Fall of a Dragon King is better).

So, verdict: a pleasent book, with a good style, and likable characters that are not farm boys who will be kings and other such useless trash. I read it and I liked it.

Excellent story of Athas
A chronicle of Athas.Well written gripping story. Lots of Adventure and a few twists.Any Reader of Dark Sun fiction will love it and others who read it will be hooked and looking for more adventures of Athas, desert home of the Dragon Kings ... Read more

Product Description
Together in one volume for the first time, the final three novels of one of Magic: The Gathering’s® most popular series.

Planeswalker: The war between Urza and Mishra is over. Brooding on the death of his brother at the hands of extraplanar forces, Urza drifts among the planes.But the end of the Brother’s War has transformed him into something greater. Deep within his heart, a spark has been kindled to a flame that cannot be quenched. Urza has become a planeswalker.

Time Streams: Urza must enlist the most brilliant minds in the multiverse to defend against the imminent Phyrexian invasion.

Bloodlines: Time is short in the race to find the one who will wield the power of the Legacy. Conflict and power struggles abound as a plot to Kill Urza unfolds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

All's good on the Dominarian Front.
Content:Lynn Abbey's Planeswalker has a much darker atmosphere than it's predecessor (the excellent The Brothers' War by Jeff Grubb), but that is because it approaches things from a much different angle.Instead of being an adventure story, it is instead a book on the protagonist's psychological state in dealing with the losses suffered previously through the eyes of his companion.It is a very different and mature book, but that is in no way bad. The writing style is crisp, the characters believable, and the analysis of the emotional states of the legendary figures is perhaps more acute than in any other book in the series.All in all, an excellent read.
Conversely, J. Robert King's Time Streams, perhaps this reviewers second favorite book in the M:TG cannon, starts as an upbeat story about discovery and hope.Then, it rapidly descends into one of nightmares and survival.The great thing about it, though, is that's entertaining the whole way through.We are pulled further from Urza and closer to his companions, but since those companions are amazingly interesting in their own right, the book is actually enhanced by it.The story really shows what an obsession does to the people around the obsessed and how they deal with.A final note: it was able to really give the scope of many years passing, so that by the time I'd finished it, I felt that I'd been with the characters forever.
I'll have to put Lauren Colemen's Bloodlines as the weakest of the three, but it is not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination.As far as the writing, characters, and pacing, the book was great.There are some characters you love to hate (I'm looking at you Gatha), and the romance is actually quite touching.Even the plot was pretty good as we take a look at Urza's preparation in area's away from artifice: eugenics and genetic manipulation.However, the book feels slightly rushed at times and there is a good reason for it.The first four books of the Artifact's cycle were commissioned to describe stories from expansions in the card game that had already come out or were in developement for quite some time.Colemen's book, however, had a very scant gestation period and had to be out the door in time for the expansion it's story coincided with to come out.If only she'd been given a few more months, I think the book would have been better for it.

Presentation:Many will find the omnibus format, with its large books and hefty weight, to be a tad cumbersome.However, as a fan of the 40k series, whose books are repackaged into omnibi (omnibuses?) regularly, it wasn't really that difficult or unfamiliar.That being said, being able to get three good books for a discount price was great, especially because those books are hard to find at your local bookstore.

So, if you are on the fence about this book, I'd definitely recommend it.Whether you're a old fan or a new reader, it's a great value you shouldn't pass up. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

What was this book about??????
I have read this book so many times and every time I shake my head and wonder where it is going and what is it about??? Even the title makes no sense,what was her gift??? Her name to the zulkir at the end??? what was that about??? that horse she wanted to give to Elminster??? Why would a 600+year old sorceress give a 1150+year old wizard a stupid horse for his birthday??? The bottom line is that the book makes no sense whatsoever.Why did she dream up some plot about red wizards when it doesn't go anywhere???

Another Lynn Abbey book that makes no sense,but at least it wasn't as bad as that stupid pitiful attempt to write about Hamanu of Urik

An overall good book but with a few problems.
The book was very good.I especially liked the fact that a book finally went inside the personality of the Simbul, one of my favorite characters.Really the only dissapointing part of the book was that the ending wasn'tmuch of an ending.It left a lot of unanswered questions.

A great book
When I bought this book I assumed it would be terrible, but I found outthat I rather liked it. I probably am biased but I thought the book was avery interesting book for a couple of reasons.First it offers the firstand only look at the Simbul in a novel.Her personality as depictedcertainly was nothing near what I imagined!She was portrayed as muchmore..human than I had thought her to be.The second factor is theinteresting plot involving the Yuir elves and their gods.It is a veryexcellent book indeed.

another book that noone needs...
Mmh...I really do not like these all powerful invincible characters likeElminster, the Seven Sisters and the Simbul, being one of them. It is justtoo easy for them to destroy hordes of powerful "evil" enemieswith a mere thought. The story about these half-elves was quiteinteresting, but not captivating and I somehow felt, there was some kind ofsolution missing at the end. If you don't collect the FR books, you canskip this one.

It was not what I thought
After having read several source books to the Forgotten Realms campaing setting, I must say that I hardly even recognise the Witch- Queen of Aglarond. The book was entertaining but itdid not seem to fit with the campaign. Now I have to decide which Simbul I like the best... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A star-studded Thieves' World volume.
In the entertaining afterword to Blood Ties, C.J. Cherryh writes about the experience of writing for the Thieves' World series:

"The honest truth is that we have very little idea what will happen. Unplanned war breaks out in the streets. It lurches and falters in settlements, just the way it does in real life, my friends, because certain people in it have to get certain things or believe there is a way out, or they go on fighting. Feuds break out between characters and resolve themselves they way they do in live-- with some change in both characters. Characters mutate and grow and turn out to have aspects that surprise even their creator."

As a reader, it is that very quality of evolving chaos and unpredictability that makes the series so much fun to read. At its best, there is a measure of barely controlled chaos that keeps the twists and turns interesting. At its worst, the different voices can mix badly and turn characters into a kind of confused mush.

This edition contains both the best and the worst of what the volumes can be. Blood Ties has a number of really impressive writers associated with the stories: Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, Janet & Chris Morris, the two editors, Diane Duane, Robert Wayne Bailey, and Andrew & Jodie Offutt. The combined talents are less effective when they deal with the complicated alliances and tensions in Sanctuary ("Sanctuary is for Lovers", "Lovers who Slay Together") but there are also some truly inspired and even very moving sections-- the fate of Siveni Grey-Eyes in "The Tie that Binds" and the brilliant introduction of Strick in "Spellmaster."

As always, you cannot pick up volume 9 of Thieves' World without having read 1-8. Begin at the beginning, if you have not had any introduction to the characters before. If you are a veteran of Sanctuary and were wondering whether this is worth the effort (Volume 8 was a little bit disappointing, IMO) then you should rest assured that it is moving in the right direction. Blood Ties is worth the time to read, and reopens a number of interesting new directions for the poor beleaguered city. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A teenage favorite
I read this when it was out originally and loved it. Sadly I let a friend bowwor it and they never returned it, it went out of print, etc. I LOVE this book and it was just as good at 30 as it was at 16!!!

Super Reader
The A. A.s (Asprin and Abbey) have written a pretty short Catwoman novel. The title has a double meaning. A man named Tiger has got just a little bit too close to Catwoman's usual haunts. Given that he is into killing and using wild big cats for fun, that is just about guaranteed to make him her number one hate target.

Batman, as ever, is lurking in the shadows.

Not your mother's Catwoman!
If you're expecting Julie Newmar, think again--this Selina Kyle is based more on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" in which Selina was a dirt-poor East End hooker who had just about all she could take and became a jewel thief to get herself out of a life of pain and degradation.

Borrowing from both the "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper" miniseries, a stint in "Action Comics Weekly", this Selina is a fascinating young woman who is at war with herself, her desires, and her world. But she's strong, capable, and a surprisingly warm protagonist capable of heroism--despite experiencing confusion about her feelings for Batman. She also gets a bit of female bonding with a fresh-off-the-bus animal activist, which helps blunt some of her sharpest edges and make Selina a 3-dimensional character that readers will take great delight in getting to know.

Especially recommended to fans of the 1980s and early 1990s comics, and animated television series.

close but no cigar
It's unfortunate that this, the only full-length Catwoman novel I know of, had to take place so shortly after the dismal Frank Miller Year One reboot.This Catwoman is a far cry from the smart, sexy, classy villainess-hero so many Cat-fans (not to mention Bat-fans) fell for. ... Read more