Product Description

An alien scientist invents the Intergalactic Inversion Drive, an engine system that transcends warp drive -- and the U.S.S Enterprise™ will be the first to test it! The Klingons attempt to thwart the test, but a greater danger looms when strange symptoms surface among the crew -- and time becomes meaningless.

Now Captain Kirk and his friends face their greatest challenge -- to repair the fabric of the Universe before time is lost forever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

passtime papp
These books, which date from the period when fans had to wait for a film every 2 years, are kind of filler fixes for hardcore ST fans.They only very rarely would stand on their own as scifi novels, relying instead on a stock set of characters and a predictable formula.

In this one, there is an arachnoid scientist who has a new technology to test.Something goes awry, of course, but by the end the Enterprise crew has (literally) saved the day, reconciled some alien cultures who were blood enemies, and revealed the beauty of their souls.All's well that ends well.This is nice to read if you don't have the option of the actual show (I was going to say the "real thing"!), but it is just a way to pass the time.Recommended as such.

Pure garbage.
I cant understand how this tripe garnered good reviews from other readers!it is disjointed, fails to lay an articulate foundation, weakly wanders around a "plot", fails to develop characters both new and known, and is insulting!The crew finds God, no wait!They find a raceof protoGods.No wait!Let's teach them about life and creation!Kirk is so awesome he teaches God about being God! Rediculous, insulting, boring, and dissapointing all at once.I haveread hundreds of Trek books, and a few by Ms Duane.i have seldomly hated a book this much, and never before a Trek book.avoid this drivel if you are looking for a good read.Trek books are not meant to be spirtual self help books andshould not try.

Outstanding Piece of SicFi
This work by Diane Duane is an outstanding piece of Science Fiction that could stand on its own regardless of whether it was Captain Kirk or Captain Jones flying the ship -- and even if the ship itself was something other than the famous 1701 U.S.S. Enterprise.

The first part of the book opens as one might expect a Star Trek novel to open.Kirk receives orders to put in to a starbase for installation of some very special equipment that needs a test in deep space.In the meantime, Sulu has invented some new electronic war games.He wants to push himself and the ship to the very limits of their endurance.To him its just a game.He has no idea that his finely honed skills will be put to the test soon after the Enterprise leaves port.

Once the Klingons are dealt with, the mission of the Enterprise and her crew gets underway in earnest.Not long after, they discover that the very universe itself is coming apart at the seams.Of course they must investigate, and what they find will test the character of each member of the crew as no other circumstance in their lives has done before.

In the course of their investigation, each of the crew members experiences some bazaar, but seemingly real, hallucinations that drag on to the point of becoming nearly intolerable while not contributing anything to the story itself. But don't let this one drawback stop you from reading this wonderful book.

Ms. Duane has created a gripping story wherein the crew of the Enterprise is given a seemingly impossible job to do, while at the same time demonstrating the character and nature of, not only themselves, but of the Federation itself.Indeed, the very fate of two universes hangs on the decisions they make and the actions they take or fail to take.

Good Story
Diane Duane can wrie a good story, but sometimes she tends to ramble, just putting meaningless words together.

"Are they here?High time"
According to the book "Voyages of Imagination", Diane Duane set about writing "The Wounded Sky" with the intention of creating the best "Star Trek" book anyone had ever seen.Well, she certainly succeeded.

I first attempted to read "The Wounded Sky" about fifteen years ago, and got bogged down about halfway into the book.There was no question of the richness and depth of Duane's prose, of a far higher quality than that found in most "Star Trek" novels, but the intellectual complexity of the story made it almost the opposite of a light read.

I've now finally gotten around to finishing the book, and I'm very glad I did.Perhaps my previous experience with the book made it easier to get through, or perhaps my increased familiarity with Duane's influences made it more accessible.Somewhere in this book Duane gets in a reference to practically every major work of twentieth-century British fantasy and science fiction.While I was always something of an Anglophile, this tendency has blossomed in my reading and TV and film-viewing over the past ten years.The books Duane read before writing "The Wounded Sky" are now, to a large extent, the same books I've read, making the reading experience even more rewarding.

At the heart of "The Wounded Sky" is K'tl'k, an alien scientist resembling a glass spider who is surely the single most memorable "Star Trek" character who has never appeared on screen.Despite her wildly alien physiognomy, her wise and humorous personality is so richly and beautifully revealed over the course of Duane's tale that, by the end, we love her as much as Scotty, who clearly loses his heart to her.K'tl'k's final fate is as emotional for the reader as it is for the characters.

Not only is "The Wounded Sky" the best "Star Trek" book I have read, it stands alongside such acclaimed "Doctor Who" novels as "Venusian Lullaby" and "Human Nature" in transcending the limitations of media tie-in novels and resonating longer in the reader's memory than many works of "serious literature". ... Read more

Product Description
In this adventure with the crew of the USS Enterprise, Doctor McCoy finds himself trapped behind the Neutral Zone, in the heart of the Romulan Empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

A Different Kind of TOS Story
This is not a Star Trek novel as most people would think of one.James T. Kirk and the Enterprize don't even play a role in this novel.In fact, McCoy is the only major crew member that has any focus in the book at all.

Indeed, the idea of calling it a book is questionable.It might better be described as being two separate and unrelated short stories.By themselves, neither is long enough to print as a paperback novel, but bind them together between the same front and back covers and you have one paperback.The book then alternates back and forth between the stories, chapter by chapter, even though neither story has anything to do with the other.

The first story recounts the long history of the Romulan people, beginning from the time of the schism that took place between the Vulcans many thousands of years ago, through the flight from Vulcan, the settling of the twin planets, building of the early empire, into the era of the first war between the Federation and the Romulan Empire and the TOS generation, and finally into the time of the time of James Kirk.As a history, these chapters present themselves well, and the information presented provides an interesting background on the Romulan people.

The second story has Dr. McCoy being dispatched to the Romulan home worlds to ascertain the status of a deep cover terrain agent -- a federation spy -- who has gone silent for the last two years.This story is ok but is dragged out by the interspacing of its chapters between those that contain nothing but Romulan history.I also find it difficult to believe that the Federation would assign a doctor to such a mission, even if he is a psychiatrist as well as a surgeon.

Revisionist Romulans
The Romulans used to be my favorite Star Trek villains. I read the Rihannsu series because I thought it would be a fun exploration of Romulan culture and history. However, I barely recognized the Romulans in Rihannsu. The book degrades them and seems to radically alter their characters. The main character, Ael, seems too perfect, while the rest of the Romulans seem like a bunch of buffoons. Furthermore, the book radically changes Romulan history that just doesn't seem realistic. It's too bad - the Romulans as presented in the Original Series were fascinating characters who had both honor and deviousness. The Romulans in Rihannsu have little of either.

Great book - lousy price
This is a great book by a great author. It is well worth reading. It is NOT a comment on the quality of the book or author that I object to. I object to the pricing of this book by the publisher. I have a first edition paperback that I bought brand new. I paid less for that book than they are demanding for this ebook... don't do it. rent it from the library. Give the author her kudo's for a GREAT GREAT story.....

Colonial Vipers
Three stars...just read the other three star reviews and know that I concur.I just can't believe that no one has pointed out that the two ships on the books's cover (to the right of McCoy's head) are clearly Colonial Vipers from Battlestar Galactica.Hilarious!

Not bad; interesting background on the Romulans
The Romulans are the "other" bad guys in the Star Trek universe, along with the Klingons, from whom they differ considerably.

"The Romulan Way" features a fairly interesting storyline coupled with some very interesting flashbacks of early Romulan history, which explains (this author's interpretation) how the Romulans left Vulcan, and why they became implacable enemies of Earth and the Federation.

This is an above-average Star Trek novel.Its main flaw is a somewhat murky style of writing, and a somewhat slow-moving plot.It did hold my interest, however, and most Star Trek fans will enjoy this story. ... Read more

Product Description

At last, the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire have agreed to meet on neutral ground to attempt to resolve the tangle of intrigue and conspiracy that began with the hijacking of the U.S.S. Intrepid many years ago -- but the meeting may be as dangerous as the war they hope to avoid.

As a show of good faith, the crew of the legendary Starship Enterprise™ has been ordered to attend the talks. In their informal charge is Romulan renegade Ael, the wanted fugitive who, with Kirk, served as a catalyst of the current troubles. Kirk must represent the interests of the Federation first and foremost, but the best approach to an agreement remains muddled in the ever-shifting Romulan order.

And the visiting Romulan party is as fractious and divided as their troubled world. Among the Romulan nobles in attendance are the hero and popular Senator Arrhae, who secretly helped rescue Dr. Leonard McCoy from a Romulan execution, and the very men and women who put McCoy on trial for treason -- and tried to carry out the sentence.

As Kirk and crew attempt to renegotiate a delicate peace, and Romulans attempt to restore their tarnished honor, it becomes increasingly apparent that their only course of action is to prepare for war! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Revisionist Romulans
The Romulans used to be my favorite Star Trek villains. I read the Rihannsu series because I thought it would be a fun exploration of Romulan culture and history. However, I barely recognized the Romulans in Rihannsu. The book degrades them and seems to radically alter their characters. The main character, Ael, seems too perfect, while the rest of the Romulans seem like a bunch of buffoons. Furthermore, the book radically changes Romulan history that just doesn't seem realistic. It's too bad - the Romulans as presented in the Original Series were fascinating characters who had both honor and deviousness. The Romulans in Rihannsu have little of either.

Reasonably well written story fragment.
This is book 4 in a series of 5; the first is "Star Trek #18: My Enemy, My Ally", the second is "Star Trek #35: The Romulan Way". Third is "Star Trek #95, Swordhunt", and fourth is this book, finally concluding in "Star Trek: The Empty Chair" (unnumbered). As you might be able to tell from the numbering, there was a LARGE gap of time between books 2 and 3 of the series; to be honest, I found it difficult to follow both book three and this book due to how long it's been since I read the previous installment in the series (and unlike the first two books, which, if my memory serves, each stood reasonably well alone, book three and this one do not). I would definitely not recomend this book unless you've RECENTLY read the previous installments.

The other problem with this book (indeed, this whole series) is that Duane began it before the powers that be in the Star Trek universe had given us much in the way of background to Romulan society, culture, and history; she filled the missing bits from her own imagination, and did so admirably. Unfortunately, when the canonical stories finally did fill in some of those blanks, they did so very differently than Duane did, so what we now have is clearly an "alternate universe" story, taking place in a parallel reality very different from the standard Star Trek timeline. The story is still good, but it cannot be fit into what we've seen of Romulans in Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager without TREMENDOUS amounts of rationalizing.

Fool me once, shame on you...
That line from the Original Series is so appropriate for this book series.I read Swordhunt because I had really enjoyed the first two in the series.Then, when I hit the "continued in Star Trek #96," I was so outraged, it took me almost five years to buy #96.Then, I find out not only did "Honor Sword" not finish the storyline, no conclusion has *yet* been published, I couldn't believe that I'd let them fool me again.

Well, until the publishers stop printing books piecemeal--and in very expensive pieces, I might add--I'm done buying Star Trek novels.

GREAT BOOK!BUT WHERE'S THE ENDING?????
If not for the "To be Continued" ending, this book would have been rated 5 stars! I loved this story as well as the other 3 on this same subject. But I can't believe that this was to be continued! Where is the rest of the story now? If I'd known that this last book was a continuation (without the follow up book even in the works yet!), I would never have purchased it!

Love the story, but where's the rest of it?
After re-reading MY ENEMY, MY ALLY and THE ROMULAN WAY (thus reminding myself once again why I consider Diane Duane the best writer of quality Trek fiction), I tore through SWORDHUNT and HONOR BLADE, only to be outraged (as so many of my fellow reviewers have been) by a "to be continued" at the end.Since the first two books were complete stories unto themselves, I had no reason to expect such a nasty shock.If I'd had any inkling that the story wasn't yet finished, I'd have waited before reading #3 and #4.

Where is the last third of this one, giant novel that's been so cynically sold in separate pieces, and when may we expect to see it in print? ... Read more

Product Description
Rhiow seems a perfectly ordinary New York City cat. Or so her humans think--but she is much more than she appears. With her partners Saash and Urruah, she collaborates with human wizards, protecting the earth from dark forces and helping to maintain the network of magical gateways between different realities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

A Purrfect Cat Fantasy
The other reveiwers have already summerized the plot, so let me just say this: "The Book Of Night With Moon" is one of the best cat fantasies I have ever read.

(Okay, maybe that's not a very helpful reveiw, but I just wanted to give this book the five stars it deserves).

Cat Scratch Magic
This book combines two of my favourite elements: cats and wizards. The striking cover art catches the eye immediately, and the story synopsis completes the allure. My previous familiarity with Duane's work is limited to her Star Trek novels, but I consider her contributions to be a high point of the series. All these things combine to make this a novel I would want to buy at first glance.

Chalk it up to my love of cats, but I find it easy to step into their world. Or maybe it's the writing. Either way, the transition is smooth. The plot unravels slowly, building to a climax that is well worth the wait. Duane's attention to character development pays off. The reader cares what happens to the four feline wizards.

The fact that most of the characters are cats could have been reduced to the level of gimmick. This is an area where Duane's skills as a storyteller are quite apparent. She invites you into a willing suspension of disbelief, and you happily accept. While the cats seem as "real" as people, one never forgets that they are cats. Body language, indeed. Every movement, every reaction, is true to feline behaviour.

Each of the cats has a distinct personality, which keeps the reader's interest even through the slower parts of the story. Urruah is the most entertaining, with his sardonic attitude toward just about everything. Saash is the ultra-professional, despite the fact that she has the most to lose. Rhiow functions well in her central role, giving the reader an accessible heroine. Arhu is the most riveting of the main characters. He undergoes the broadest changes, which serve as a benchmark for the developing plot.

As much as I like Ith, I find it difficult to take him seriously. Maybe it all comes down to the image of him casting spells with his stunted arms. I realize Duane must have meant to make him exceptional, to break the "stereotype" of the dinosaur, but he is the weakest part of the story. In the midst of the climactic scene, along comes Ith and the tension is blown.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. Duane has created some wonderful characters. Their interactions ranged from hilarious to poignant without ever losing realism.

If you hate Diane Duane, you better not tell me your name or address.
I might kill you.

Diane Duane is an awesome writer. I love all the characters in this book, and the end is really sad. Not very surprising, but sad.

Please read this book. No wait, why am I saying please? READ THIS BOOK OR ELSE!!

P.S. I know where you Diane Duane haters live.

My Cat Love's Rhiow
In the late fall of 1999 I first found this book, and the talent Diane Duane along with it, in a bargain bin sale at my local library.I bought it for one dollar for no better reason than that I liked the title and the read on the back of the book sounded interesting.This is not, I understand the best way to choose your reading, but I find if you read two or three books a week, it doesn't matter, you'll find the good ones eventually.

I fell in love with Rhiow almost immediately, and from that grew an immense repect and enjoyment of Diane Duane's writing expertise. I am not a finicky reader, if you tell a good story and avoid glaring grammatical errors, I'll pass over a misspelled word or a small plot hole here and there with no comment.Diane tells an excellent story.

Her world is as deep and rich and real as the one you live in. It is one of those worlds that might just put a lie to that old saying "truth is stranger than fiction."Diane somehow manages to craft this world and make it believable while allowing a story to flow steadily forward that is engaging, dramatic, tear-jerking, humorous, and paced so evenly that coming back to the story after leaving it for a week is almost as natural as after a break of five minutes. The star of Diane's show in this wonderful book, though, is Rhiow.

Rhiow is a CAT, with all the character and temper that goes with that noble title.How can anyone, who a cat has for their own, not see that this story, while fantastic, is dangerously close to the truth, at least as far as cat's characters go.My cat loved this book. I read it aloud to her over a few weekends (I'm not sure if she liked it because I sat still and talked to her for hours on end or if she's been brushing up on her English) and then gave the book to a friend and coworker of mine.After my friend finished the book and put her stamp of approval on it (she's a bigger cat-person and fantasy fan than even I am), I started keeping a copy around to give to any of my friends who turned out to be cat lovers. Yes, this book is that good.

Where do your cats go when.......
You're sleeping, off at work?

You might be surprised.In "Book of Night With Moon" specially gifted cats share co-responsibility with humans to keep the gates of this world functioning properly.

The world is beautifully depicted, the characters--both two legged and four-legged are well realized, interesting and likeable, the plot keeps you moving.

No complaints here except there is only one sequal to this book so far.In my opinion, "Book of Night With Moon" is one of Diane Duane's best! ... Read more

Product Description
Only Freelorn, the banished Prince of Arlen, can rescue the dying land of Arlen from the usurper king and the evil that threatens it, by rediscovering a missing ritual, lost at the time of Freelorn's father's murder. Reprint. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The Door into Sunset
This, the conclusion of The Tale of Five (or is it??) brings the fate of the dragons full circle.One is left wondering whatever happened to The Door into Starlight?A tale left unfinished is a sad thing.....

slow
One should never complain about cleverness and depth, there being so little of both in our life, so I feel rather silly and wan doing so about this book.

Ms Duane has poured tons of both into the third book of her justly celebrated series, creating a charming world, similar and yet very different from our own in its basic structure. In her own Utopia the main good in life is love, a love which makes the earth bear fruits and people live and work in harmony.
This world is ruled by a supreme goddess who is nearly allmighty but not really all-knowing and she is responsible, in a way, for the extant evil too.
The one above is a rather brutal sketch of a rather refined and complex system of thought, which can compare with that of the ancient Greek philosophers in depth, scope and attitude.

Problem is, this is no philosophical treaty but a novel, and a fantasy one to that.
Characters are interesting if not always consistent and there are many very well knit passages: the overall impression unfortunately is that of some impressive tableaux vivants clumsily linked in a dull way, the plot being very slow and sometimes even dragging.

A book undoubtedly worth reading, last but not least for a social depiction where sexuality and human bonds are as free as one can conceive them, their worth established by the lovers' capabilities and understanding and not by their gender.

The White Lion Awakes
The Door Into Sunset (1993) is the third novel in the Tale of Five series, following The Door Into Shadow. In the previous volume, Segnbora loses her sword Charriselm within Glasscastle, but, in return, gains Skadhwe, the shadow blade of Queen Efmaer. Herewiss and Segnbora close Barachael Pass by dropping a mountain on it and then Eftgan and Freelorn shore up the failing Bonds at Bluepeak to hold back the Shadow. There, too, Segnbora finds her Flame, kills all the Fyrds, returns all Reavers and Darthenes to their homes, heals Freelorn's wound, and provides Hasai with a body.

In this novel, Freelorn dreams true about his father and thus returns to Arlen alone from the south. Herewiss and Moris travel to Prydon, the capital of Arlen, as messengers for Queen Eftgan, carrying a declaration of war and showing Herewiss with the Flame. Segnbora and Hasai travel to the dragons to request their assistance. Eftgan and her levies travel to Prydon a short time later to make war.

Freelorn begins to sense the land as he travels through southern Arlen in the disguise of a tinker. He finds mercenary soldiers everywhere, mostly well behaved, but oppressing the countrymen merely by their presence. He also finds a daughter who had been reported as dead and he continues to dream of the white beast.

Herewiss is wined and dined in Prydon, not to mentioned poisoned and attacked in the Lionhall by a keplian. Intrigue is everywhere and very few of the 400 can be trusted, but somehow Herewiss is beginning to trust Cillmod, usurper of the throne. Moreover, the power behind the throne seems to be Rian, a sorcerer who does not believe in the Goddess but instead follows the Shadow.

Segnbora and Hasai meet numerous other dragons, establish Segnbora's claim to dragonhood, and gain admittance to the Dweller, chief among the dragons. However, gaining assistance within the current century is beginning to look problematical.

This novel takes the battle to Arlen. If Freelorn wins the throne, he and Eftgan can fully repair the Bonds. Otherwise, the Shadow wins everything.

In regard to the mass wedding, keep in mind that most of the main characters have known Eftgan for many years and all have fought together and like each other. Since sharing is a social grace, a group marriage would seem to be a logical extension of the Goddess philosophy and, indeed, is shown earlier in the story. Moreover, this marriage is not just personal but also political, joining the rulers of Arlen and Darthen, as well as Brightwood. Thus, it stabilizes the succession, brings the two countries even closer together, and adds a reason for mutual celebration after a hard and bitter time.

Highly recommended for Duane fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of sword and sorcery with great characters and devious machinations.

-Arthur W. Jordin

One of the best books in the world
Just fantastic. I couldn't think of anything better. A fantastically drawn world, with magical laws as real as our laws of physics. The characters are so real they take your breath away, and Duane just makes you rethink everything you once held true about life. Absolutely amazing. I can't wait for the next one.

loved the first two,this one is not nearly as good
good reason for being out of print -- Diane Duane seems to have run out of steam for this third book, I guess when she went back to the characters after 10 yrs, the characters nuances slip away.And while the last battle scene was gripping, the many chapters preceding it lacked subtance.Reminds me of the wheel of time series which suffers from a lack of plot, but atleast since he writes a book a year, Robert Jordan writes about the same characters, who stay in character...
OK, I thought that Freelorn and Herewiss had an incredible and believable romantic relationship through the first two books and most of this one.I could even understand, and believe in Sunspark & Herewiss,and understand Freelorn's desire to complete this triangle with Sunspark but to just throw in a mass wedding and bring Segnbora, and a bunch of others randomly into their real and intimate relationship totally ruins the authors whole beautifully developed alternate "loved" universe.While other reviewers talk about being broad minded while reading it -- I couldn't understand why such a broad mind was needed until the last chapter of this book. The lack of rhyme or reason, leaves you will a feeling that all of the characters are farcical and that there is no depth to their feelings! I guess she wanted to make a point about universal love and parallel polygamy, but the development of the story did not support that. ... Read more

Product Description
The Tale of Five: The Sword and Dragon

This is an omnibus reprint of Diane Duane’s first two titles in this series, The Door into Fire and The Door into Shadow.

In The Door into Fire, Herewiss, Prince of the Brightwood, is the only man in centuries to possess the Power of the Flame, but he cannot control it. Even though he cannot control the Power of the Flame, he does have a talent for sorcery and with the help of Sunspark, a fire elemental, he is able to free his best friend Freelorn, the Prince of Arlen. Now Herewiss must make a choice. Does he go with his best friend to aide him in his fight to regain his kingdom or does he follow Sunspark to an ancient castle where there are ‘doors’ that lead to other worlds? Places that he can go to earn to use the Power of the Flame. Dare he walk through the door into fire?

In The Door into Shadow, we are at a time that the royal magics are failing. The Reaver armies are massing and with them is the Shadow—destroyer off all that is good in the Goddess’s creation. Between them and humanity stand a few brave souls—Herewiss, the first man in decades to have the Power of the Flame; Freelorn, the prince of Arlen; Sunspark, a fire elemental; Eftgan, the warrior queen of Darthen; and Segnbora, sorceress and swordwoman who speaks with the tongue of dragons. Can they overcome their own past and differences to unite in this fight, or do they fall prey to doubt and distrust which leads to the door into shadow? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Rerelease
This is a rerelease of the first two books in one of Diane Duane's earlier series.It's very good, though some of the relationships in it makes it unsuitable for younger readers.Very surprising if you've only read the authors 'Young Wizards' or the spinnoff of that series 'Cat Wizards' series.

The central character is a young nobleman, who is trying to unleash his dormant magical abilities.Abilities that only women have been able to use for untold generations.Along the way, he aides his boyfriend the renegade prince of a neighboring kingdom, as well as a fire elemental, and a distant cousin.Not to mention a dragon.Oh, did I mention that the demonic Shadow wants the guy as dead as possible, and out of its way?

If you read fantasy, and don't have a problem with unconventional lifestyles, you should pick up this book.

Like a film everyone recommends but you fall asleep watching
Having read Fiona Patton's Stone Prince, I got an Amazon recommendation for this book, and the reviews were all praise, so I bought a copy. The three core characters as well as the elemental Sunspark and the dragon Hasai are painted carefully, and the background mythology of the Goddess is one of the most memorable I found in any fantasy. But nearly everything else remains quite vague, including geography, history, culture, sciences, language, arts and philosophy, or simply scenery and weather. It reminds one of an old text adventure: "you look west into the wastes", "you are standing at a keep in the mountains" etc. The main antagonist is just a "shadow", and similarly its puppet, the usurpator Cillmod, lacks any character description. Even the three companions of the main characters, Lang, Dritt and Moris, get no face or history for the whole of the 500 or so pages. If "love, love, love" does not keep you awake, you won't find decent battle tactics or spellbinding adventures of the heros (except perhaps for the Glasscastle episode in book two). Summing up, some things are really lovely, but on the whole I could not keep my eyes open. My recommendation: find a friend and take him/her to the zoo - if you are like me, you will find this a much better way to be loved, go on a quest, and not fall asleep.

My all-time favorite book
This is one of the few books that I press upon everyone I meet.

This volume contains both "The Door into Fire" and "The Door into Shadow."Both are fine fantasies, with enough adventure for those who mostly want slam-bang plot, and enough character development for those who prefer that.But the setting is probably this series' biggest draw, a land where one doesn't have to *believe* in the Goddess, because everyone meets Her once during their lives.Bisexuality seems to be the norm, and people love according to personality and chemistry, not gender.It's a great series for anyone, but it will especially appeal to Pagans, polyamorists, and GLB folks.Both stories have lovely messages about openness, tolerance, and facing one's fears without feeling like "message stories" that sacrifice plot and character to the message.

One caveat:the second book deals partly with the main character's recovery from child sexual abuse, and the resolution that the character reaches about this may feel offensive to some real-life survivors of child sexual abuse.Of course, others will find the story edifying or freeing.

Cory

A Quest of Power and Shadow
The Sword and the Dragon (1993) is an omnibus edition of the first two novels in the Tale of the Five series. It includes The Door Into Fire and The Door into Shadow. Herewiss is the heir to the Brightwood, a principality within the Kingdom of Darthen. Freelorn is his loved, the uncrowned king of Arlen. Segnbora is a scion of the forty families and a powerful sorceress whose power is blocked, but who speaks with the tongue of dragons.

In The Door Into Fire, Herewiss is the first male in centuries who is capable of using the Power of Flame. However, the fire within him will not express itself in any useful way without a focus and his every attempt to use Rods and swords as focuses have destroyed the objects. When Freelorn sends a message asking for his help, he puts his quest aside for a while and rides to the rescue.

In The Door Into Shadow, Herewiss has found his focus, but he has a true dream that the Shadow is very angry and is going to lean heavily on the Royal Bindings keeping him in check. Since these bindings have worn thin, the Shadow could well escape. Herewiss knows that he must journey to the Morrowfane to master his Power, despite the dangers to his mind and person. Freelorn, Segnbora and the others ride with him.

This omnibus edition brings these two novels back into print after a long absence. Recommended for all Duane fans and anyone else who enjoys well-crafted tales of powerful magic and strange cultures.

-Arthur W. Jordin

"The Door into Starlight" on the horizon
Personally, I'm just happy to see such an excellent serie finally attracted the attention of a publisher who's willing to reissue them. Diane Duane dealt with the issue of liberal sexual orientation with extraordinary grace and eloquance. The story plots themselves are seamlessly meld with the relationships between the characters, thus avoiding the pitfall of a story written with male-female pairing in mind, but substituted with male-male/female-female characters for one reason or another. If you have been as frustrated as I have been in tracking down the last volume of the series, have courage. According to the author's official website,... the second volume of the "Tale of Five" edition is due to come out some time this year, 2003. The forthcoming book (title unannounced in the website) will contain both "The Door into Sunset" and "The Door into Starlight." ... Read more

Product Description
The latest, greatest, high-tech thrill ride for Tom Clancy's legion of young fans.

The amateurs are beating the pros in this year's spatball playoffs-and some big bettors plan to lose a fortune. When they threaten a star player, the Net Force Explorers are called in to protect America's newest pastime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Death Match
Haven't Had time to read it Yet. Book was new so it is in very good contition

Tom Clancy's Net Force Death Match
I am a great fan of Tom Clancy. I just cannot believe he wrote this. Truly terrible. In the bin. ... Read more

Product Description
Vulcan: linchpin member of the United Federation of Planets. Home to a civilization dedicated to o'thia, the ruling ethic of pure logic. But it was not always so; thousands of years before, Vulcans were a violent, warlike race, with tempers surpassed only by the planet's hot, arid sands. The philosopher Surak would show his people another way, teach them to reject their emotions and embrace logic and knowledge. The Vulcans would evolve and prosper, eventually exploring the stars and attaining further enlightenment as they encountered other cultures.

In the twenty-third century, Commander Spock, Captain Kirk, and the U.S.S. Enterprise are summoned to Vulcan when its people consider seceding from the Federation and returning to their isolationist ways. Vulcan's savage history becomes fully revealed as Spock, his father Sarek, and Kirk work to preserve the planet's future from anti-Terran factions with hidden agendas. The crisis is twofold for the half-human Spock -- should Vulcan secede, he will be required to resign from Starfleet and return home, or forever sever ties with his homeworld.

Years later, a decades-old plot to destroy the Federation from within forces Ambassador Sarek from the bedside of his dying wife, Amanda. The ambassador's decision widens the long-standing rift between himself and Spock at a time when they must pool their resources together. While the Enterprise crew contends with Romulans, Klingons, and the mysterious Freelans, Sarek's only comfort comes from reading Amanda's journals, which reveal more about his human spouse, his son, and himself than he ever realized. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

annoying that they gave a new title to old works
These were so-so novels when first published, but it is very annoying that there is nothing in the title or front cover that indicates that this is not a new novel co-writen by two authors but two separate old novels (Sarek and Spock's World) written separately. The cover is very, very deceptive.Shame on Signature edition. How hard is it to put out something new?

WARNING:COMPILATION, NOT A NEW ST NOVEL
This is NOT a new Star Trek novel: it is merely a compilation of two previously released ST novels, Sarek, and Spock's World. My one star rating reflects my annoyance at having to return what I thought was a new novel when I purchased it. The rating is not a commentary on either of the novels included in this compilation, both of which I thought were quite good.

BEWARE, STAR TREK FANS--THIS IS NOT A NEW BOOK!
"Sand and Stars" is actually two older books--"Spock's World" and "Sarek"--repackaged.Although both books are great, therefore, making this book great, I was DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED when it arrived in the mail because I had already read them.I thought I was getting a NEW Star Trek book about the Vulcans.The description and product detail do not explain this.So, if you have not read "Spock's World" or "Sarek," by all means, order this book--you'll really enjoy it! ... Read more

Product Description
From the television event of the year, Steven Spielberg's seaQuest. The year is 2018, and the world's oceans are the last frontiers on Earth. The last hope for peace is the largest, most powerful submarine ever built, the seaQuest--an undersea research ship. But there are unknown dangers on the ocean floor. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Review
Very descriptive depection of the pilot for the series. There are some scenes missing in the book that were added for the series, but I really like the book's focus on Bridger, and his feelings (internal thoughts) about being tricked into 'touring' the seaQuest.

A must have for any seaQuest fan.

GREAT BOOK*************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a great book to read for people of all ages and people. It keeps yopu guessing and keep reading. I'm not much of a reader and stil finished the book in less then a week. I highly reccomend this book fo a class project, bcause you will have fun with it and still get the job done.

Good novelisation, but some flaws.
Because she is writing a novelisation of the pilot, Diane Duane is limited in the extent of detail she can go into here. However, the book is a good print version of the episode, even thoough it does miss out most of the second act, and makes some major continuity errors (it was based on an early version of the script, with the names, etc, still provisional).

For seaQuest fans, this is a must. It gives you a good insight into the "future history" background of the series, and delves deep into the character's pasts.

Short and Sweet
Only 200 pages so it's a fast read, and introduces the future world of SeaQuest better than the TV show, as the narrative can get around the curse of stilted expositional dialogue. The technical aspects are much more detailed in the show, so you get some neat gimmicks explained.

The story itself is OK, Bridger and the motivation of enemy commander Marilyn Stark are explored in the most depth. The reluctance of Bridger to command drags on a bit, though.

If you enjoyed the pilot, this will add a bit more depth to the background of the show.

entertaining!
I Really enjoyed this book since I actully missed the 1st episode and this was a great way for me to see how the show got started.I keep this book in my room always. I read it when I don't or can't find any thing else betterto read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Support Your Local Wizard (So You Want to Be a Wizard, Deep Wizardry, High Wizardry
This is a great series and this book was terrific!!!It is in wonderful shape and arrived quickly!!!I'm so happy to have this and would recommend this book series and this seller to everyone!!:)

3 in 1
3 in 1 compendium:So you Want To Be A Wizard, Deep Wizardry, High Wizardry

Will always have a special place in my heart
Omnibus collection of the first 3 books of Diane Duane's young adult series.I first came across this series as a wee lad of 13 or so.I lost the book and stumbled upon this here at Amazon some many years later; and a steal at the price I paid for it!
I am 30 now.And have read and reread this set many times.After all these years, when I crack the cover, and join Nita and Kit on adventures of learning, sacrifice, and fun.There is still magic; call it nostalgia, call it pleasure, call it joy.Before there was a certain other wizard who caught on like wildfire and made magic mainstream; there was this series.I offer the strongest recommendation I would since "The Last Unicorn."
As a gift, for yourself or someone else; this book is worth its weight!

Hardback Collection of the First Three Young Wizard Books
This hardback book collects the first three young wizards books and is an alternative to "Diane Duane's Box of Wizardry," which is the same collection, only in paperback. This hardback book can often be found for a very reasonable price and may be a lower cost alternative to the "Box of Wizardry," so I recommend that you at least check it out.

Diane Duane has added to this series over the years, and as of this writing she has written seven books in this series, with an eighth in the works. The scope of the books rivals Harry Potter, a much later series, in many aspects, but the mythologies and the rules are completely different.

The first three books are "So You Want to Be a Wizard," where we meet Kit (Christopher) Rodriguez and Nita (Juanita) Callahan for the first time. We learn that they were picked on by bullies and generally felt as though they were outsiders. Each discovers a book that was meant for them that invited each to become wizards. Both accept and thus starts a multi-book fight against the Lone Power.

In the second book, "Deep Wizardry," the story continues with Kit and Nita performing a ritual that dates back millenia to keep the sea floor stable in the presence of forces that could create havoc on the ocean floor.

In the third book, "High Wizardy," Nita's younger sister Dairine is discovered to be an extremely powerful wizard. It is also this book that introduces computers to the series. An introduction important to the plot of this book. This book has the most science fiction elements of any book in this series.

The quality of this series has generally been quite good. The later books include "A Wizard Abroad," "A Wizard's Dilemma," "A Wizard Alone," and "A Wizard's Holiday." If you enjoy fantasy and science fiction, and you enjoyed the Harry Potter books, I believe you will find Diane Duane's series interesting.

PLEASE NOTE PROBLEM WITH THIS ITEM
The description/editorial review section seems to be about an entirely different book than the one listed here by Diane Duane.Some problem within Amazon evidently. ... Read more

Product Description
Illustrated with line drawings at the start of each chapter, a new Spider-Man adventure finds the arachnoid crime-fighter in the Florida Everglades, where he matches wits with Dr. Curt Connors, otherwise known as The Lizard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Super Reader
A fun Spidey romp by Ms Duane. Spidey fights the Lizard, natch, swamps involved, that sort of thing. Very competent.

After going to his friend Curt Connors for help, Spidey realises that Curt is having a few problems of his own. He tries to get the good Doctor's family somewhere safe, and then go and try and find the Lizard.

Not bad... but not memorable either.
This novel had it's moments... I actually LIKE books that have plenty of Peter/MJ interraction, and this had some. But it really dragged in spots. There were a lot of pages spent setting up the story... even 3/4 of the way into it! Tedious.

nice
i thought the pic were cool and the book goes into great detail

cool
I like venom and lizard man so this book was cool but dont get the audio tape its awful.

Oh boy, here we go again...
Yep, ANOTHER Diane Duane Spider-Man book. Yep, another pretty boring and usless story that barely ties into the last book (Venom Factor) and I can barely see how it ties into the last book (Octupus Agenda) which I have yet to read, honestly. Yep, Spider-Man fights Venom, the Lizard, and faceless mercs in boring, boring, BORING scenes. Yep, Diane calls him "Spidey" almost throughout the entire novel (as if typing Spider-MAN is too much effort). Yep, Mary-Jane is in it and is even MORE annoying. Yep, more annoyingly juvenile sex-talk and sex-do between Peter and MJ. Yep, there is a stupid sub-plot of MJ getting work in Florida only to find shady dealings while doing so. Yep, you're supposed to take this seriously. Yep, I can't beleive I took this long to write this review. ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Hannah Arendt, Toni Morrison, Marguerite Yourcenar, Ursula K. le Guin, Zelda Fitzgerald, Diane Duane, Bell Hooks, Sylvia Plath, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Stephenie Meyer, C. J. Cherryh, Helen Hunt Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, Anne Waldman, Gertrude Stein, Frances Sargent Osgood, Catherine Lucille Moore, Fanny Fern, Natalie Clifford Barney, Edna Ferber, Anne Mccaffrey, Maya Angelou, Pearl Buck, Patricia Cornwell, Elizabeth Bishop, Ann Rule, Sarah Helen Whitman, Poppy Z. Brite, Margaret Weis, Lilian Jackson Braun, Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Elizabeth Moon, Kate Chopin, Lois Mcmaster Bujold, Anaïs Nin, Susan Sontag, Betty Mahmoody, Elizabeth Peters, Alice Sebold, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Deborah Jean Ross, Alice Walker, Carolyn G. Heilbrun, Patricia Anthony, Anne Bradstreet, Harper Lee, Barbara Hambly, Florence Gould, Anne Sexton, Kressmann Taylor, Rita Mae Brown, Carol O'connell, Judith Merril, Yasmine Galenorn, Djuna Barnes, Judy Blume, Catherynne M. Valente, Alice B. Toklas, Lois Lowry, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Lowell, Janet Evanovich, Craig Rice, Patricia Macdonald, Katherine Paterson, Mary Oliver, Blanche Oelrichs, Phillis Wheatley, Vonda Mcintyre, Octavia E. Butler, Sue Grafton, Shirlee Busbee, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Dorothy Parker, Martha Grimes, Donna Leon, Jane Addams, Sarah Zettel, Karin Slaughter, H.d., Margaret Mitchell, Elizabeth Blackwell, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Tillie Olsen, Rivka Galchen, L.j Smith, Pat Cadigan, Elaine Cunningham, Jeanne Duprau, Carol Berg, Joan Didion, Willa Cather, Melanie Rawn, Margaret Fuller, Kate Millett, Jessica Verday, Katherine Kurtz, Nancy Kress, Tana Hoban, James Tiptree, Jr, Mary Mapes Dodge, Nancy A. Collins, Diane Di Prima, Siri Hustvedt, Maxine Kumi...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Exercise in Character Development
"Laidanwe," Tlelai said, "The one who brings what must come." Gabriel looked at him."Harbinger," he said.

That just made my heart skip a beat, as I truly knew that thecharacter that I have grown to love in the past 700 pages or so, has begunto develop into a real human being.

Duane has a real knack of bringingcharacters to life, giving them personalities that make them just jump outof the page and into your imagination.It's like they're realpeople.

"Storm" is an excellent installment to the Harbingertrilogy.In it, we meet new characters and see the reoccurence of many oldones, as well as a nice way to show first contact with an alien speciesthat communicates, shall we say, "strangely" at best.

My onlygripe is that there are a few sections where Connor spends too much timemilling over ideas and thoughts in his head... a bit more action would makethe book sizzle!

I would recommend it to anyone who likes good SF,especially the Star Drive setting in particular.

An Exercise in Character Development
"Laidanwe," Tlelai said, "The one who brings what must come."Gabriel looked at him."Harbinger," he said.

That just made my heart skip a beat, as I truly knew that thecharacter that I have grown to love in the past 700 pages or so, has begunto develop into a real human being.

Duane has a real knack of bringingcharacter to life, giving them personalities that make them just jump outof the page and into your imagination.It's like their realpeople.

Storm is an excellent new installment of the Harbinger trilogy. In it, we meet new characters and see the reoccurence of many old ones, aswell as a nice way to show first contact with an alien species thatcommunicates, shall we say, "strangely" at best.

My only gripeis that there are a few sections where Connor spends too much time millingover ideas and thoughts in his head... a bit more action would make thebook sizzle!

The second of this series satisfies
Although not truly inspiring, the book remains consistant with the first one where our hero attempts saving another group of aliens against the malicious company.

Also of interest, we find out more about themysterious ghost ships, and exactly what the luck stone is.

I had to keepputting the book down after 50 pages or so to get a break from it. Otherwise, this one definitely is a keeper for star drive fans. ... Read more

Product Description
As the eternal malice of the Shadow rises once more to threaten Creation with destructions, Freelorn the exiled prince of Arlen stands with four others to confront this looming apocalypse. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Door into Shadow
As the Tale of the Five continues, Duane takes readers to the dotted line between Good and Evil, and leaves the matter squarely where it should be:both sides of the coin are what you make of them or believe them to be.

slow
Everything I wrote in my review of the Door into Fire (pls. see) can be repeated for the second part of this most atypical fantasy serial.
Its main strength lies in the fascinating world created by Ms Duane, its main charm in the detailed depiction of characters who think much more than they act.

In this second part the author seems to concentrate on Segnbora, a multilayered, faceted woman very different from the usual she-warrior; Ms Duane uses her to let us into a much deeper insight of her personal phylosophy (weltanschauung) and manages to keep the reader's interest high.
On the other hand she neglects all the others, even the lovely Sunspark, whose wit was one of the main asset of the first part. The loss is painful, especially because the "others" were so endearing in the first volume. As a consequence every time Segnbora is not involved the story becomes slow, sometimes it even drags.

Hardly an excusable mistake considering the years Ms Duane allowed herself to write the three volumes (the fourth is at the time still unpublished).

To Speak of Dragons
The Door Into Shadow (1984) is the second novel in the Tale of Five series, following The Door Into Fire. In the previous volume, the companions faced the death of their souls within the Hold in the Waste and Herewiss became one with his Flame to protect them. After the soul-eaters are destroyed, Freelorn decides that it is time to return to Arlen to claim the throne.

In this novel, Herewiss has a true dream about the Shadow on the night before leaving the Hold. This dream convinces him that he has to learn to control his Flame immediately, so the companions leave for Morrowfane at first light. There the spirits guide Herewiss in using his Flame. However, Segnbora has another experience at Morrowfane; she finds herself hosting the persona of the dragon Hasai. Moreover, this dragon brings a cloud of other dragon minds with him.

Segnbora finds the dragons deep within her mind. She learns much about their history and purpose and they learn much about her, delving even deeper within her mind and forcing her to confront her fears. Gradually, she becomes a hybrid of human and dragon, speaking with the tongue of dragons and casting a dragon shadow.

The companions join with Eftgan, Queen of Darthen, and her army to face the forces of the Shadow. Thousands of Reavers are pouring out of Barachael Pass and this time they have sorcerers of their own. The companions set out to close the pass.

Highly recommended for Duane fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of sword and sorcery with serious character development.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A Worthy Sequel
This is one of the very few sequels I would say honestly surpasses the original._Door Into Shadow_ takes the ideas introduced in _Door Into Fire_, and brings them further into the light:Segnbora d'Welcaen tai-Enraesi is the protagonist, and through her eyes, the reader will meet the Queen who cheated death, face the darker side of spirituality... and make the acquaintance of a Dragon who could change one's perspective on that mythical species forever.Wonderfully thought-provoking, _Door Into Shadow_ doesn't flinch away from any issues, instead facing them head-on and taking us along for the ride.It would be worth reading for the chance to meet Hasai (and see what becomes of Herewiss & Co.) alone; add in the songs, the legends, the magic, the tragedies, and the joys, and it becomes a literary jewel beyond price.Buy it if you can find it!

most excellent how about a reprint of the entire series
Ms Duane creates a world where love is all that is important.This is enshrined in the Goddess who takes a very real hand in what is going on. I have reccomended this book to many people, old and young.I haveespecially reccomended it to a young friend who "came out" to meand was feeling very down. He was able to live again so to speak believingthat how he felt about himself was right for him. ... Read more

Product Description

The sword was the ultimate symbol of Romulan power, tradition, and pride. It lay in the Senate Chamber of the Romulan Star Empire, revered and untouched for centuries, until the day Dr. Leonard McCoy was tried for treason -- and both were stolen during a daring attack on Romulus itself.

Now, to avenge that insult and save face in the eyes of their deadly enemies, the Empire must recover the sword at any cost. Their envoys to the Federation demand the return of the sword and the extradition of the Romulan renegades who aided the Starship Enterprise™ in McCoy's escape. If diplomacy fails, the Romulans will trap the Klingons™ and the Federation in open war.

In such dangerous times, the Starship Enterprise is assigned the most valuable -- and volatile -- element of all: the fugitive Ael, her stolen Bird-of-Prey Bloodwing, and the sword they carry. Ael will undoubtedly attempt to use ship and sword to foil her enemies and play her hand in the dangerous game that she's begun. But she will do it all under the watchful eyes of James T. Kirk, the Federation starship captain who knows her dangerously well... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Revisionist Romulans
The Romulans used to be my favorite Star Trek villains. I read the Rihannsu series because I thought it would be a fun exploration of Romulan culture and history. However, I barely recognized the Romulans in Rihannsu. The book degrades them and seems to radically alter their characters. The main character, Ael, seems too perfect, while the rest of the Romulans seem like a bunch of buffoons. Furthermore, the book radically changes Romulan history that just doesn't seem realistic. It's too bad - the Romulans as presented in the Original Series were fascinating characters who had both honor and deviousness. The Romulans in Rihannsu have little of either.

Reasonably well written story fragment.
This is book 3 in a series of 5; the first is "Star Trek #18: My Enemy, My Ally", the second is "Star Trek #35: The Romulan Way". Then follows this book, and "Star Trek #96, Honor Blade", finally concluding in "Star Trek: The Empty Chair" (unnumbered). As you might be able to tell from the numbering, there was a LARGE gap of time between books 2 and 3 of the series; to be honest, I found it difficult to follow this book due to how long it's been since I read the previous installment in the series (and unlike the first two books, which each stood reasonably well alone, if my memory serves, this one does not). I would definitely not recomend this book unless you've RECENTLY read the previous installments.

The other problem with this book (indeed, this whole series) is that Duane began it before the powers that be in the Star Trek universe had given us much in the way of background to Romulan society, culture, and history; she filled the missing bits from her own imagination, and did so admirably. Unfortunately, when the canonical stories finally did fill in some of those blanks, they did so very differently than Duane did, so what we now have is clearly an "alternate universe" story, taking place in a parallel reality very different from the standard Star Trek timeline. The story is still good, but it cannot be fit into what we've seen of Romulans in Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager without TREMENDOUS amounts of rationalizing.

This book has no reason to exist
Virtually nothing happens in this book.The Enterprise and Bloodwing rendezvous in preparation for a summit between Federation and Romulan forces and have a space battle with Romulan ships sent to capture Bloodwing's commander.There is much discussion of a powerful new doomsday weapon and many vignettes featuring characters that we have never seen before, do not see again (at least not in this book), and which amount to nothing at all.The ridiculous ending reveals that this is the first installment of a continuing story, but author Diane Duane has not even provided a provocative cliff-hanger to interest us in reading the next installment.Rest assured, if I ever decide to read any further (doubtful), it will be a used edition so that the publisher doesn't see any profit from this sorry excuse for a book.

A real disappointment
The first two books in what is now, apparently "The Rihannsu series" were excellent. Doing for the Romulans what _The Final Reflection_ (John M. Ford) did for the Klingons, the first two tightly-plotted books described Rihannsu history and culture: both books were good enough to be fanfiction, and have been treated as source material by many Star Trek fans.

I suspected, from the no-enthusiasm that was apparent in Trek fandom, that books 3 and 4 weren't as good. But I bought book 3 anyway, out of a completist instinct. That was a mistake. Book 3's plot plods along: we not only find nothing new about the Rihannsu, the information we already had is used in no interesting way: and finally, the supreme cheat, it turns out that "book 3 and book 4" are actually two halves: at the end of book 3, "the story continues in - ".

As my reaction while reading book 3 was somewhat "Why did I bother?" I shall certainly not be buying book 4, but I feel cheated - The Romulan Way was a sequel to My Enemy My Ally, but both were self-contained novels. Books 3 and 4 are really Part 1 and Part 2, and honestly: not worth the price of one book, let alone two.

I am disappointed in Diane Duane, because I know she is capable of much better. I am disappointed in Paramount, which seems to have given up on the concept of *good* Star Trek novels. If there was a rating for less than 1 star, that's what I would have given this book.

Will the real story please stand up?
Diane Duane is by far my most favoraite Star Trek author and I would have bet long odds that any book that she wrote is a "must have". However, 'Swordhunt' and 'Honor Blade' proved this assumption to be totally wrong.

There just seems to have a 'whole lot of nothing' going on in both stories. Correction: You have one somewhat hectic Star Trek shot-em-up style space battle in each book . . . and the rest of the story (??) so far seems to be in a continuation that has not yet been printed.

I have read and re-read both books a number of times and I have yet to have any clue as to what is actually going on.

No doubt, if and when we actually get to the *real* story . . . in the next volume . . . all this seemingly wasted effort telling a back story will make sense . . . but as it is now, be prepared to be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
At last, the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire have agreed to meet on neutral ground in order to resolve the tangle of intrigue and conspiracy that began many years ago with the hijacking of the USS Intrepid. As a show of good faith, the crew of the legendary starship USS Enterprise has been ordered to attend the talks. In their informal charge is the Romulan renegade Ael, the wanted fugitive who, along with Captain James T. Kirk, served as the catalyst of the present troubles. On the other side, the visiting Romulan party is as fractious and disunited as their own divided world. As Kirk and his crew attempt to negotiate a delicate peace and the Romulans attempt to restore their tarnished honour, it becomes increasingly apparent that their only course of action is to prepare for the war that both sides hoped to avoid... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Revisionist Romulans
The Romulans used to be my favorite Star Trek villains. I read the Rihannsu series because I thought it would be a fun exploration of Romulan culture and history. However, I barely recognized the Romulans in Rihannsu. The book degrades them and seems to radically alter their characters. The main character, Ael, seems too perfect, while the rest of the Romulans seem like a bunch of buffoons. Furthermore, the book radically changes Romulan history that just doesn't seem realistic. It's too bad - the Romulans as presented in the Original Series were fascinating characters who had both honor and deviousness. The Romulans in Rihannsu have little of either.

The Empty Chair
Excellent service.Bought book as a gift.Star Trek is always the best.

The Empty Chair
I've been following this series since the first publication of My Enemy,My Ally, and i have to say this was well worth the wait. Excellent development of the Romulans, both as individuals and a culture; does for the Rihannsu what Pawns and Symbols did for the Klingons.

Excellent story fragment, but I think I missed something.
I read at least the first book of this series many years ago. Apparently, I missed something in the interim, but not only did this book start in the middle of the story and fail to constitute an entire story in and of itself (which guarantees that I will not rate it five stars) but there was nothing on the cover, or the inside title pages, to indicate where in the series it fell. (It says "the culmination of a saga twenty-two years in the making", but not how many books preceded it.) It was not part of the numbered series, and while the cover says "A Rihannsu Novel" it doesn't SAY that it's book 5 in the series (which the Amazon entry does) so I was unaware going in that I was reading it out of order. Once I realized this, I decided to continue in order to see if it was written well enough to make sense to a reader who did so. It wasn't completely incomprehensible, but I would definitely recommend NOT reading it out of sequence.

There are only two other complaints that I have against this book, and both are minor enough that by themselves they would not have kept me from rating the book five stars: one, the method by which the Enterprise saves the day was criminally reckless, and should have been refused by Kirk even at the expense of failing to save all life on Earth; the risk was too great. But of course, it worked, so everything's golden. The other is that Diane Duane, when she started this series over 20 years ago, was creating a Romulan culture that was not in conflict with anything that was canonical in the Star Trek universe as established on screen. By now, that has long since changed, as other writers writing for Next Generation and later series delved into Romulan culture more deeply than the original series did, and defined it in ways inconsistent with her work. Unfortunate, especially since I like her handling of the situation better than what's been done onscreen, but she should have simply accepted this fact and gone her own way; we could all have simply accepted that this happened in a parallel universe and not the one we've seen onscreen. Instead, at the very end of this book, she tries to rationalize the differences away. This fails miserably, and should not have been attempted. On the plus side, the writing itself, the plotting, the pacing, the characterizations, are all exceptional, and make the book well worth reading. Just make sure you've read all of its predecessors first.

Worth waiting for
I'd almost given up hope that Diane Duane would finish the story left hanging at the end of SWORDHUNT and HONOR BLADE so many years ago, but this final chapter did not disappoint.As with the earliest books in this series, MY ENEMY, MY ALLY and THE ROMULAN WAY, this final, fifth book has an actual ending, and a very satisfying one at that.

I couldn't remember much about either SWORDHUNT or HONOR BLADE, but that didn't seem to get in the way of enjoying the final volume.The main characters and plot threads were all introduced in the first two volumes, which I've frequently re-read, and anything I'd forgotten about the later books was easily caught up by the ongoing plot and character revelations in THE EMPTY CHAIR.

I highly recommend this novel for any fan of Diane Duane's original series Trek novels. ... Read more

Product Description
To save a prominent scientist and his son from a corrupt government's agents, the Net Force Explorers embark on a terrifying virtual hunt for their enemies--before it's too late....

10th in the exciting young adult series ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GREAT!
This book was, once again, a great Net Force book.Maj, a net force explorer, gets a visitor from a different country, whose dad works for the government.to keep his invention of a microp that destroys harmful micro-organisms out of the wrong hands, he sends it to america with his son.Now, the people who are trying to capture his dad, reverse the programming of the microps through the net. now maj and the other net force explorers are in a race against time to save their friend from the harmful microps.this book is a lot of fun and i highly reccomend it!

The future of the Net we know?
These Net Force books are all short, easy to read, and interesting.Like the others that I have read, this one fulfills the promise of the creaters.In this book, Maj's life becomes even more interesting than usual when ayounger visitor comes to her home - as an escapee.Her interaction andwork with other Net Force Explorers adds character and excitement to thebook.Creative design on the Net and action-adventure combine to make thisone more in a good series to get and read, for both parents and children. If this is how and what the 'Net' will become, I am all for it.Iespecially like the values transmitted by the authors in these books.Ionly wish that I had, again, a younger child to share these with now.Iplan on keeping them for my future grandchildren.Maybe by then thesebooks will read like 'history'.Keep it up, authors. ... Read more

Product Description
Helps to discover how Wesley learns to have compassion for others, how the Enterprise deals with a mysterious disease that wipes out half an archeological expedition, and if Picard will survive an internal coup. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

For Star Trek...weak
Everything is going Manga but somethings shouldn't and one of those is Star Trek. It just doesn't work.

Clearly for the Next Generation Fan
Changeling (story by David Gerrold, art by E.J. Su): Wesley Crusher is about to embark on his first mission as an Ensign: accompany an away team on their journey to the center of the Labyrinth of Wisdom. Wesley, perhaps a little too eager to prove himself, rushes in and steps on a pedestal that turns him into someone resembling and thinking like Geordi. Realizing that there's no way to turn back into his good old self, Wesley continues his journey into the labyrinth, changing several times to take on both physical and mental attributes of his teammates. Things should get pretty interesting with Troi around.

Gerrold, the writer behind the classic Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," really disappoints with this story. A boy must walk a path, changing several times before he can become a man. The story becomes very predictable and lacks the drama one would expect from Next Generation. The artwork is simplistic, making this story feel as though it's geared toward children. Thankfully, the rest of this book gets better.

Sensation (story by Diane Duane, art by Chrissy Delk): The Enterprise responds to a distress call from an archaeological dig on Lamda Scorpii IV. One by one, the workers are starting to lose their minds, suffering from panic attacks so powerful it leaves them in comas. Dr. Crusher and Troi head down to the planet in an attempt to figure out the source of the paranoia, a mystery that seems to defy the laws of medicine.

Sensation has the feel of an authentic Next Generation episode. Someone is in danger, send in a team, the danger gets more complicated and starts taking out the crew, then one particular Enterprise member must solve the mystery to save everyone. Duane does a nice job of setting up a mystery that feels impossible to solve. It's not until one character looks at it from a different angle that the pieces start to fit into place. The art style has a very modern, comic book look to it, yet all the characters are represented accurately.

The Picardian Knot (story by Christine Boylan, art by Don Hudson): Picard loses his capacity to feel emotion when a Romulan suddenly beams himself aboard and threatens Picard's life. Disturbed by his abrupt personality change, Troi encourages the crew to share how they feel, but the only thing that seems to get through to him is a small puzzle box his attacker left behind on the bridge.

Boylan has certainly captured the humor found in the Next Generation series, granting the reader a few much-needed comedic exchanges between Picard and some of his crew. There's nothing like watching Worf attempt to discuss his emotions for a good giggle. The overall story seems too simple to replace a full episode and comes close to sufficing for a short story. However, there are a few details that bring it down. Some of the dialogue bubbles are placed in awkward positions; but more importantly, the crew claims that the Romulan attacker had a mind meld with Picard, yet there is no visual indication of that ever happening. There's no way for the reader to know that without the crew explicitly saying so within the dialogue.

Loyalty (story by F.J. DeSanto, art by Bettina Kurkoski): Following Picard's capture and escape from the Borg, Starfleet is concerned if the captain is mentally fit for duty. They secretly call in Commander Riker to interrogate him about Picard's mental and emotional state. How Riker handles the meeting will affect his very own career.

Every now and then, there's a missing story that's just waiting to be told. Loyalty is that story. The writing is solid with a true Next Generation feel to it. This isn't an action story. Loyalty is more about emotional strength and standing up for what you believe in. It has a good moral, strong emotional conflict, and ties in very well to the television series' main storyline.

Overall, Star Trek: The Next Generation--The Manga isn't a bad read. Changing the order of stories might have left a better impression. It starts off weak but gets stronger as it goes instead of starting and ending with the best works. This book is clearly for the Next Generation fan. There is no introduction to the universe or the characters, so there is no way for new readers to discover the series by this method. It is not ideal for a library, but makes for a decent and affordable gift for any fan.

-- Courtney Kraft

a good manga for star trek.
It is very good history, but it's differente to see how cap. Picard and others members of Enterprise are drowing. I recomend by the good history. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Starrise at Corrivale accomplishes what it sets out to do: it's areasonably entertaining primer for the Star*Drive universe, a campaignsetting for TSR's science-fiction role-playing game Alternity.Star*Drive is fairly recognizable space-opera fare, a view of the future inthe 26th century, with various stellar nations exploring and exploitingtheir way across the galaxy, often coming into conflict. Starrise atCorrivale, the first book of the Harbinger trilogy, is the firstfiction to be set in Star*Drive, and is authored by an old hand atdeveloping licensed worlds, Diane Duane. (Duane has written numerousbestselling Star Trek novels and has also borrowed time withSpiderman and the X-Men.)

Starrise at Corrivale revolves around well-meaning tough guy GabrielConnor, a Marine for the Galactic Concord. Connor, who is part of the military contingentaccompanying a diplomatic mission, is unexpectedly thrust into thecenter of intrigue in the negotiations between two hostile worlds. Dupedinto abetting a murder, then discredited and booted from the Marines,Connor must figure out what nefarious forces are at work in the system, andwhy, if he hopes to clear his name. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Average
I enjoyed this book.Diane Duane is a brilliant writer, and this book had some very strong moments.That said, the book didn't grip me.It moved along at a good pace, but didn't have any new mind-expanding ideas to draw me in, which are what I usually love about sci-fi.Not a bad book, but I've seen better from Duane.

Wasted time
This is a never again read. It takes more than a third of the 360+ pages to get past the back story to start in on the plot of this tale. Perhaps all that is needed for the trilogy but there are inherent writing errors in the material.

TSR, the publishers of Dungeon and Dragons thought they were onto something by starting a line of fiction that had nothing to do with their games. But they lacked expertise in this area, obviously. Editing of the work lacks in many areas.

As a reader, you start with great expository paragraphs, sometimes longer than a page. And these go on for many pages. As a reader you need to be interrupted with dialogue, and short paragraphs to catch your breath.

Then there is so much extra exposition that does not advance the story, in the early part of the book, that by the time the rhythm works you are uninvolved.

The premise is that an upcoming Marine officer who does intelligence work for the diplomats gets framed for their deaths. Some benevolent alien, and why, I must have missed because it seems far fetched, thinks our Marine is worthwhile and teams up with him to help him start a new life after the corp can't use him. He of course though not proven innocent, is let go on a hung decision.

We then have another third of the book, after this back story, of the Marine and Alien establishing themselves. The nefarious entity, the corporation, that set things up still is entwined in their lives, but so damn powerful that snuffing out this loose end should have been like sneezing.

The story then doesn't work, because our heroes aren't heroic enough, our enemy is too powerful and we don't understand there motivation since it is unclear and placed at the end. Don't waste your time or effort with this.

Remember 'Doc' Smith's Lensmen?
No, I won't say Diane Duane's book 'Starrise at Corrivale' is a Lensman book, but it brought back strong memories of those books. Her heros are heros with no real character flaws, her aliens are praisworthy andtrustworthy - except for the nebulos hidden enemies that will surely berevealed in future books. I find her plots somewhat more convoluted (not adifficult task) but all in all, there seemed to be many simularities. Ialways enjoyed Smith's books, even if I did find them many, many yearsafter they were written and the same is true of Starrise. There are betterbooks out there but here is one that resurects a lost area of the SciFigenre in a manner that is not a 'dated' rehash of previous books. You don'tneed to know the plot details here, its enough to know that men are men andaliens are too. Good will prevail and our hero remains a hero - one guidedby higher beings (although in this case the higher being is a humanjusticator will unmentioned power, political and armed rather than the morehighly evolved alien Mentor).

engrossing story & good characters
I have enjoyed Diane Duane's other novels, although I haven't read any of her "series" books (Star Trek, etc.).In Starrise at Corrivale, I found her usual enjoyable use of language, characters to care about, anda good story.The villains are murky and in places one-dimensional:perhaps this is to whet our appetites for the next volume in the series?? Bring it on!! (and keep writing the Wizard books, too - I buy them for myniece - and read them before I give them to her!!)

A well written, engaging introduction to a new SF universe.
To be honest, I usually avoid gaming novels.Oh, I've read the "big ones," the original Dragonlance trilogy, the first couple Drizzt books, and the Gygax Gord novels, but that's about it.As a new AlternityGM, however, I decided to give Starrise At Corrivale a try to get a better"feel" for the Star*Drive campaign setting.I had at least heardof Diane Duane before (though I avoid other SF "lines" like theStar Trek novels on principle as well) and figured I'd give it a try.

Iwas pleasantly surprised.The story is quite involving, and the variousplot twists grabbed my attention.The occasional combat scenes are wellwritten, though the space combat ones get a little hazy and turgid at times- this might be on purpose, as the narrating protagonist was described asfeeling that way at times.But the space combat was not really what you'dcall exciting.The character interaction was the most interesting part.

The plot is an old standard, "disgraced hero must redeem himself byfinding and exposing those who framed him."It is well done, however,and the mystery surrounding the book's events is maintained well.

Thecharacterization of humans and aliens was generally good, with a couplelapses - I found the VoidCorp and Concord representatives to be somewhatone-dimensional.I liked the gentle treatment of the main aliens, a Fraal and Sesheyan mostly - there were enough little details to bring a sense offamiliarity without any reducing to a sci-fi stereotype.

The depiction ofthe Concord Marines (the main military organization in the novel) was alittle disappointing to me, they seemed too much like the Starfleetpersonnel of the Star Trek world (probably because of Ms. Duane'sexperience in writing for that line).I think the story could havebenefited from a more "rough" feel to theorganization.

Speaking of rough feels, there were more than a few typosand spelling/grammar problems in the book, disappointing especially for thefirst book out of the gate for a new line.

Duane managed to make theworld interesting, which is always the main task of someone writing insomeone else's world.She only lapses into intense-explication mode acouple times.

In general, for an Alternity gamer, this book iscertainly worthwhile and enjoyable.For a non-gamer, this is a pretty goodrandom SF novel, worth reading. ... Read more