Opgang (Texts and Translations)

Book Description

"Wonderful . . . J.V. Jones is a striking writer." So says Robert Jordan, the author of The Wheel of Time epic fantasy series. And Jones lives up to that praise in the highly charged epic adventure of Ash March and Raif Sevrance, two outcasts whose fates are entwined by fate and by need, in the cold, dark world that threatens to be torn asunder by a war to end all wars. They are but two of many who fight the dreaded Endlords, but both Ash and Raif are special in unique ways that isolate them, yet which also enable them to perform heroic acts that might save their world.

Raif, wrongly accused and cut off from his clan by the treachery of their new headsman, has a talent for killing that is part of his curse and his burden. But he bears another burden of greater weight. Ash is a sacred warrior to the Sull, an ancient race whose numbers have declined.Raised as a foundling, she never knew her true heritage, she must learn to accept the terrible gifts of her heritage.

But as Ash learns more of her greater fate, Raif's task looms dark and desperate, for he must journey through the nightmare realm of the Want, a place where even the Sull now fear to tread. For deep within the Want is the Fortress of Grey Ice, and there he must heal the breach in the Blindwall that already threatens the world. Should he fail, not even Ash's powers can save them...

Customer Reviews:

I really enjoyed this book.......2007-06-12

I enjoy fantasy books. Allot have underdeveloped and totally unreal characters. This one is not like that at all. I picked up this book at Wal-mart on clearance sale. I thought I might get through a chapter or two. I couldn't put it down.

So Much Potential Wasted in this Frustrating Book.......2007-05-14

A Fortress of Grey Ice had great potential. The author definately has a knack for developing characters who are interesting and complex and putting them in a compelling world.

But the potential is lost because the book is so weakly plotted, so poorly written and so tedious.

First off, as others have mentioned, there is too much narrative and too little dialogue. In the second half of the book I found myself skimming along reading the rare dialogue between characters and the first sentence of narrative paragraphs. In other words I was interested in the characters but bored by the tedious exposition.

Secondly, there are eight or ten main characters and, for the whole length of the book, with the exception of Angus Lok who flits from here to there, they have nothing to do with each other. The entire novel could have been broken down into ten short stories each telling the tale of a single character.

Third, the author has hopelessly screwed up the character of Raif. Perhaps she just can't get into the mindset of a young man but Raif, as written, is a muddle. I never for one moment believed that he would choose to go live with the maimed men. I think it was just a plot device to get him to the rift. Meanwhile he gives no thought to the Uncle who befriended him and saved him. Why doesn't he go look for his uncle? Because it would not suit the plot, that's why.

And we are supposed to believe that he would take part on a raid on his old clan and kill clansmen when, at the same time, he still holds clan honor so high that he won't speak a single word against clan, even to save himself? It makes zero sense. He would run first. Or kill himself. Anything before that.

Also, in the first book, it was made very clear that Raif has the gift of heart killing living things. But it was also made very clear that he was an average target bowman. Now, suddenly, even injured and out of practice, he can out-shoot the best bowman in the known universe? Why? Because it makes a dramatic scene? How? The Gods helped? Fate?

In the end the author creates compelling characters. But she doesn't let them talk. She doesn't let them interact. And she makes them act in ways that are radically out of character in order to further the "plot". It all adds up to 2 stars but it could have been a lot more.

Still going strong.......2006-06-30

Although I do agree with other reviewers that the second installment in the "Sword of Shadows" series did not benefit from the high level of narration and pacing that made the first book so addictive, it was still a very engaging novel, and she's quickly becoming one of the better Fantasy acts out there nowadays. The novel still focuses primarily on Raif and Ash, and the relationship that we all know them to be developing, but it's the accessory characters and the landscapes that truly elevate this novel. With characters like Vaylo Bludd, Marafice Eye, Mace Blackhail, Angus Lok, Drey, Effie, and Robbie Doone, J.V. Jones has truly populated her world with well written and believable people, and with few exceptions, she avoids the wretched fantasy stereotypes of the "too good" or "too evil" character.

Much like the first novel, the description of the landscape is stark and breathtaking, and provides the second great strength of the novel. Even though this wasn't as pleasing as the first installment, Ms. Jones has laid the foundation for a heck of a series, and I can't wait to see where she's going next with the story. For the most part, it's a great combo of drama, action, and fantasy, and if she can straighten out the narration a bit, there's no reason not to expect a 5 star effort on the 3rd installment.

Good stuff!.......2006-03-19

I like fantasy and I enjoyed this series so far. There is plenty of intrigue and magic to keep you reminded that this is not just another series and the author is not afraid to kill one of the good guys. I like the fact that she is able to track multiple cultures and settings so well.

My only irritation is that I can't seem to locate anything to finish the series. I hate having to wait this long to see what else is going to happen.

Flawed Genius?.......2005-09-22

First of all, I should state emphatically that this book (and the earlier book in this series) is excellent. Jones has a strong, detailed, highly imaginative writing style that is refreshing to read in a genre that has nearly run out of promising authors. Most other reviewers on this site have thoroughly covered all of Jones' many strengths, and it serves little purpose to rehash them.

That being said, I have noticed several problems that seem in stark contrast to her otherwise great writing. It would be unfortunate if one were to buy these books after hearing nothing but rave reviews that will not discuss her faults.

One of the more frustrating of these is the authors desire to endow her characters with almost supernatural mood-reading abilities. Personally, I have never been in a conversation with someone and read much into a "darkening of the eyes", whatever that even means. In fact, so much is conveyed in the conversations in this book "under the surface", without words, that I'm starting to doubt my own conversation skills. There's a whole world of communication that I've been missing! I want to emphasize how distracting this writing style is. There are conversations that involve more thinking and analyzing of the other's thoughts than actual speaking. Imagine a converstation like that! "Thank you for coming. We have a lot to talk about." Five minute pause while both people stare at each other, analyzing every minute facial movement and gesture. "Well, you asked me to come here. Should we start?" Five more minutes...you get the point. Its more than a little ridiculous.

A second, more glaring issue is Jones' overuse of narration. There are literally whole chapters where no action takes place and no words are spoken between characters. Perhaps if that were to happen in just one chapter, when all others moved swiftly, it would be powerful. But the author seems to feel the need to TELL us what her characters are thinking, rather than SHOWING us through actions or dialogue.

This point may be a little niggling, but I've noticed that no one ever does anything "roughly", it is always "not gently". There have actually been several times I had to re-read a sentence to understand exactly how character A grabbed character B, and what that implies, because of the author's reluctance to use a phrase that does not involve a qualified gentle action.

Finally, and this is perhaps my most serious critique of Jones' writing, is the egregious lack of judgement--or worse, lack of action--of her characters. So many of the problems in the story could be solved if people simply DID something, usually the painfully obvious thing. For instance, so many of the problems in the Blackhail clan could be solved if Raina would simply tell everyone she knew that her bastard of a husband had raped her to force her into marrying him, which was itself a rather ridiculous plot device in the first book. In another example, Raif suffered days of torture and faced imminent execution for a crime he never even committed, but refused to tell his captors of his innocence because he did not want to stain the honor of his clan--who had banished him, and had in fact committed the very crimes Raif was being accused of! Simply put, it is maddening. It reminds me of those old 80s sitcoms where the entire infuriating episode is driven along because of some ridiculous misunderstanding, and where if one character just stopped for a moment and had an open conversation with someone else, the entire problem would be solved.

Don't misunderstand me. This is very, very good book. However, these problems are so distracting that I cannot honestly say it deserves more than 3 stars. Any fan of the fantasy genre will definitely enjoy it. Think Robert Jordan mixed with George Martin. If Jones manages to avoid the "Jordan Bug" and wraps this up in another book or two, this could well be one of the best series to be published in the past 10 or 15 years.

Book Description

This "prequel" to Callenbach's classic Ecotopia dramatizes the rise and triumph of a powerful American movement to preserve the earth as a safe, sustainable environment.

The story springs from harsh realities. Toxic contamination of air, water, and food has become intolerable. Nuclear meltdowns threaten. Military spending burdens the economy. Politicians squabble over outdated agendas while the country declines. But then dedicated people begin to respond in their own ways to the crisis, and fresh hope arises. A brash physics student, Lou Swift, invents a unique solar cell that will end dependence on polluting fossil energy. Marissa D'Amico decides to devote her life to the restoration of clear-cut and eroded forests. Her mother Laura organizes a commando group of cancer victims to disable plants making carcinogenic chemicals. A distinguished but disillusioned legislator, Vera Allwen, organizes a new grassroots party working toward a survival-oriented future. Joining with thousands of others, they take their lives into their own hands—fighting the corporate control that endangers their personal survival along with that of the earth. A panorama of history about to happen, Ecotopia Emerging weaves many individual destinies into an absorbing epic: the birth of a new nation.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Idea..........2006-07-10

Great ideas are brought up, and is a definite must-read for any environmentalist. The only drawback is that some plots are not well developed. I do not understand why anyone would rate this book below a three, but I did notice a lot of people who did rate this book low are from the South (i.e. Georgia).

Most reviews from Statesboro Georgia.......2006-06-22

Most of the Amazon reviews on this book are curiously from Statesboro Georgia. Perhaps the same individual writing multiple bad reviews.

I would recommend reading Ernest Callenbach's "Ecotopia" before reading "Ecotopia Emerging", as Ecotopia sets the groundwork for this book.

Ecotopia, I don't think so.......2005-05-05

In this particular novel Ernest Callenbach tries to really show his interest in how much better the world would be as an Ecotopia, but I feel as though many of his points would take so long to actually progress within our society that we wouldn't get anywhere from an ecotoia.
This book is about a girl by the name of Lou Swift and she builds a solar cell as an alternative way of energy. She ends up joining an organization that wants to form an Ecotopia. Some of their rules in my opinion were pointless such as, "no private car ownership, no production of carcinogens, and other rules that to me were off the wall.
I feel that the only reason you should read this book is if you are into the whole Ecotopia idea or you have to read it because your teacher told you to. Otherwise, I feel as though the book was a complete waste of my time because I didn't agree with any of the points that the author made about Ecotopia's and it was a slow paced book.

Jordan Walter English 1102.......2005-05-04

Imagine a world so politically divided that there is talk about secession. A world where environmentalists could gain enough support through a political party to secede from the other 50 states. In Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia Emerging he talks about a few things which are farstrung predictions. In his book a woman named Vera Allwen starts up a political party whose goals and values are very environmentally friendly. She wants a world without cars, pollution, roads, or governmental restrictions. She fights and stands up for the states of washington, california and Oregon. With the help of a young girl named Lou Swift they plan to be able to cut themselves completely away by using her "new solar cell energy." Lou swift doesnt want to become rich off of this discovery of hers, she only wants to help out a struggling nation and supply free solar energy. This book is filled with road blocks, environmentalists, governments, anarchy and talk of secession. The government has spent to much money for war so now they cannot even keep their states in check.

I personally did not like this book. It came off as being a little to slow and boring. Some of the things he talked about might have been able to happen but others were just ludacris. No state in the UNITED states of America would ever be able to gain enough support to secede from the U.S. and the U.S. would never allow this. People are to scared of change. His ideas seemed to come from some deep down dissolusioned vision that he secretly wished for. This book did not hit any key places for me so it definattely will not be making its way to my bookshelf anytime soon. I have already sold it back to the bookstore as a matter of fact. I was not to happy with this work. I think if there was either more action or more believable events. I know most books that are fiction you would just go along with it while reading, but this one just hit an arguing point within me.

A True Ecotopia Emerging?.......2005-05-03

Ernest Callenbach dreams of a revolution is manifested in his book, Ecotopia Emerging. The book is more of a daytime soap opera with its characters and plots. But if you read into what callenbach is really saying you might begin to understand the focus of the book. It is supposed to be a wake up call. The facts that are given in the book are true. Americans are killing themselves and they are willing to let that happen. Ernest saw this coming and was trying to explain to people how serious this is. The book itself is not written very well, which is why people seem to get lost in its translation. Callenbach goes between so many characters you sometimes have to read earlier pages just to stay on point. This flaw seriously hurts the book. Also there is the extreme projections in his book. While some may be true, the author tries to hard to scare people with his doomsday predictions. Even though I believe with what Callenbach is trying to do, He goes about it in the wrong way with a contrived plot. Which is way I cannot recommend this book at all.

Average customer rating:

Ecotopia Emerging
Ernest Callenbach
Manufacturer: Banyan Tree Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MRH9AU

Book Description

Questioning Rama's story has played a generative role in sustaining the Ramayana tradition over centuries, across regions, and among different communities. Although the story of Rama (Ramkatha) has generated many tellings, most people are familiar with a few authoritative texts, such as those by Valmiki, Tulsidas, or the television serial by Ramanand Sagar. This volume expands our understanding of Ramkatha by focusing on tellings that question aspects of such dominant texts.
Through analysis of oral and written narratives, exegesis, plays, songs, rituals, and poetry, the contributors demonstrate the centrality of questioning within the Ramayana tradition and chart the many forms such interrogation takes. The book demonstrates how questioning safeguards the diversity and capaciousness of the Ramayana tradition.

Customer Reviews:

Complicated and Hard to Understand.......2007-05-20

If you want a good commentary on the Ramayana, Richman's Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia contains much more relevant and easy to understand commentary. The articles, in this book, I find to be much more complicated and hard to understand for someone who is not an Indian/South Asian/Hindu Text scholar.

Questioning Ramayanas: A South-Asian tradition

Average customer rating:

Questioning Ramayanas: A South-Asian tradition

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0195650913

Average customer rating:

Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition
Paula, Ed. Richman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKNS7S

Average customer rating:
Delia's How to Cook: Book Three
Delia Smith
Manufacturer: BBC Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
English, Scottish & Welsh | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Delia's How to Cook: Book Two

Delia's How to Cook: Book One

How to Cook

ASIN: 0563534699
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Book Description

In part three of How to Cook, Delia continues and completes her journey through the fundamentals of cooking, revising traditional areas that are all too often overlooked, as well as exploring more contemporary concerns for the modern cook. As ever, the principles remain the same—to rediscover the simple pleasure of food, to take beginners through many of the basic techniques, and to offer inspiration to even the most accomplished cook. With stunning photographs to accompany each one of them, the recipes range from neglected classics like Old English Apple Hat and Smoked Collar of Bacon with Pease Pudding to exciting new flavors such as Teriyaki Grilled Marinated Salmon and Sea Bass with Puy Lentil Salsa. In Book Three, the reader can learn the techniques of pickling and preserving, how to equip their kitchen from scratch, and how to get the most out of food processors, bread machines, and ice-cream makers. Here, Delia also focuses on first courses (starters) and last courses (hot puddings), and introduces us to the wonderful world of pulses, from adzuki beans to pintos by way of many more familiar ones. How to Cook: Book Three contains over 120 great new recipes, written, as always, to inspire confidence in nervous cooks and to extend the repertoire of more experienced ones. Those who already have Books One and Two cannot afford to be without this one, and those who do not can start right here.

Average customer rating:
All Shook Up: Elvis Day-By-Day, 1954-1977 (PCI Collector Editions)
Lee Cotten
Manufacturer: Popular Culture Ink
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Elvis Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music

ASIN: 1560750464

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All Shook Up Elvis Day By Day 1954-1977
Lee Cotten
Manufacturer: Pierian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LB1KBG

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All Shook Up : Elvis Day-by-Day, 1954-1977 (Rock and Roll Reference Ser., No. 13)
Lee Cotten
Manufacturer: Popular Culture, Ink
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYNBB4

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