Seven Peaches: The First Seven Desert Peach Episodes

Book Description

The Desert Fox's Gay Brother. How ridiculous. How sublime. How biting, ironic and funny. And here are the first seven episodes, of the series that does to World War Two -- and the twentieth century -- what they need done.

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A good solid read

Nobles are dull subject matter for the Warrior's Bond.

Lives of the Rich and Noble

Wonderful continuation of the tale

It's Festival Time
The Warrior's Bond (Tale of Einarinn)
Juliet E. Mckenna
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Assassin's Edge: The Fifth and Final Tale of Einarinn

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Northern Storm (Aldabreshin Compass)

ASIN: 0060505664
Release Date: 2002-12-31

Book Description

Einarinn's greatest warrior, the swordsman Ryshad, has sworn to protect his lord, Messire D'Olbriot, even if it means watching his love, the beautiful thief Livak, embark on a dangerous quest to find the lost aetheric magic on her own. But shadow and intrigue lie over the land, and a journey to recover magical artifacts leads the swordsman back to the lost colony of Kellarin, whose settlers have only recently been awoken from centuries of enchanted sleep. Amidst the intricate halls and deadly intrigues of this royal court, even the most cautious of strategems can fail, and Ryshad must fight to save the future of Einarinn itself.

Customer Reviews:

A good solid read.......2003-09-25

First let me say, I *like* McKenna's books. Her writing is solid, her characters are engaging and complex and so is her world. Rather than the typical medieval milieu, she has set her stories in a world that resembles 17th c. Europe-- nice change. The only flaw is that while some of the good guys aren't terribly likeable, most of her bad guys tend to be Evil with a capital E. That's okay-- makes it more fun to see them fall. I'm looking to be entertained here.

With the fourth book in the series, we are back with Ryshad, the male half of her protagonist couple. I realized toward the end of the book that this one doesn't deal with the main villains, the Elietim, from her earlier books at all. The plot revolves totally around the machinations of an Imperial court. I think this may be why some people found it disappointing. I actually enjoyed it, however. The writing remained solid and the characters are likeable and sympthetic. And palace intrigue can be a lot of fun.

I gave this four stars because the enjoyment factor remains high. I wouldn't judge the whole series from this one particular book, however, since it did feel like a small departure. The protagonists are back together at the end of the book and heading overseas so I anticipate our old pals, the Elietim, will be back as well.

Nobles are dull subject matter for the Warrior's Bond........2003-08-06

Juliet McKenna's latest installment focuses again on Ryshad. We have seen many sides of Ryshad now, from intriguing swordsman to clever slave. Here, we see Ryshad the servant. Returning to service with the D'Olbriots isn't easy for Ryshad, who has gotten used to making his own decisions. Nor is it easy to be separated from his beloved Livak.

The Elietimm must be taking time off from terrorizing the land, because we see little of them in this book. No, the villains of this book are closer to home - the Tor Bezaemar family, rivals of the D'Olbriots. Temar, the newly-awoken noble from Kellarin, is caught up in the intrigues between noble houses, all the while trying to catch up on what has happened during his long sleep. Ryshad assists Temar as best he can while still honoring his oath.

This book is not as interesting as previous books. The idylls of the rich and famous are not as fascinating as the jams Livak would get herself into. It does serve as an history of the Empire, and a tome to the complex social hierarchy of this land.

Sometimes both sorcery and artifice seemed just a little too convenient, devices to get our protagonists out of trouble or to tie up loose plot ends. I hope this trend doesn't continue, as I lauded the low-magic aspects of the first book.

I was relieved when I finished the book, after struggling to get through some of the duller moments. I usually give my favorite authors a few chances to redeem themselves, and the end of this book sets things up nicely for a better fifth installment.

Lives of the Rich and Noble.......2003-03-06

McKenna's fourth tale of Einarinn covers the same timeframe as The Gambler's Fortune, focusing on Ryshad Tathel's activities in Tormalin while lover Livak is off in the west. While retaining all the color and texture of earlier books, The Warrior's Bond offers some departures from the norm as well. For one thing, it does very little traveling, with most of its action set in the capital city of Toremal.

Ryshad's first-person narration isn't yet on a par with Livak's, but comes across well enough. He's been elevated from sworn man to chosen man by Messire D'Olbriot; one more step up to proven man will give him the wherewithal for the life he wants with Livak. His viewpoint alternates with two others in third-person. One belongs to wizard Casuel Devoir, still trying to advance his own fortunes and still as delightfully odious as ever. The other is from colonist Temar D'Alsennin, on his first mainland visit and having trouble adjusting to a changed world after his centuries-long sleep.

Temar and a fellow colonist plan to meet assorted nobles and present a case for assisting the colony. A third of the colony's members remain locked in limbo, with the ancient artifacts holding their consciousness yet to be recovered from among the noble Houses. Equally important, the colony's long-term survival depends on establishing mainland trade and other alliances. Though the Elietimm threat still looms, Ryshad and Casuel are temporarily reassigned by their respective masters to watch over Temar as he tries to navigate modern Empire life.

As usual in a McKenna story, things start to go wrong almost immediately. Temar's ship nearly founders right outside the harbor. His sample trade goods are plundered from their dockside warehouse. He's attacked by an unidentified assailant. Ryshad is set up for a warrior's challenge. Several noble Houses file suits to wrest all control of the colony away from D'Olbriot and from Temar himself. Are these incidents related? If so, who's behind them, and why? Ryshad struggles to get to the bottom of things, while at the same time serving the interests of both D'Olbriot and Temar, all of which only seems to get him deeper into trouble and further away from achieving his own goal.

Previous books have focused on the lives of common folk, or on wizards, foreigners, time-displaced colonists, or other unusual groups; here McKenna turns her writer's talents loose on the lives of the rich and noble. Readers get a good look at Tormalin nobility through the widely differing perspectives of Ryshad, Temar, and Casuel. Magic takes a backseat to political and social machinations. As one character tells Temar, "[i]t's a different kind of danger, but it's just as real for your colony." It's just as real for readers, too, and well-told, as always. McKenna's control over plotting errors remains phenomenal given the complexity of her stories; control over printing errors-like inappropriate question marks-is less than perfect, but who's going to sweat such picky stuff with fine tales like these?

Wonderful continuation of the tale.......2003-02-13

I have now read all 4 of the books in this series. The world McKenna has created is intriguing and believable. The 2 main characters within this book, Temar and Ryshad, are handled plausibly. The pacing of the book is very good. As in each book, each chapter starts with a note or passage written during a different time that provides a deeper glimpse into the society of the created world. A very enjoyable read.

It's Festival Time.......2003-02-11

The Warrior's Bond is the fourth novel in the Tales of Einarinn series, following The Gambler's Fortune. In the previous volume, Livak has left a songbook with Pered to translate and traveled with Usara to Selerima in Western Ensaimin to learn more about the Mountain Men folk songs and tales. Joining with Sorgrad and Sorgren, they then traveled on the Great West Road through the Great Forest to the mountains. There they have fought an Elietimm enchanter and Mountain Men and have returned with Aritane, a renegade Sheltya, to assist the wizards of Hadrumal in the study of enchantment.

In this novel, Ryshad has become a Chosen man of the House of D'Olbriot and assigned to the Esquire D'Alsennin, who has come over from Kel Ar'ayen -- i.e., Kellarin -- for the Summer Solstice Festival in Toremal. There Temar D'Alsennin meets the nobility of the Empire and gets robbed, snubbed, stabbed, mobbed and otherwise entertained. Moreover, House D'Olbriot is embroiled in law suits and invaded by thieves. Someone is stirring up trouble for both D'Olbriot and D'Alsennin.

Ryshad is also having a interesting time, with ritual challenges that turn deadly, beautiful con ladies, and failures to keep his patron informed. Casuel is his usual C3PO self, always vain and ambitious, barely in control of his magic, never in control of his tongue, and occasionally useful. Allin is still deferential to Casuel, but growing more independent with encouragement from Temar. Then there are the Emperor and palaces and mazes and balls and puppet theaters and rope walkers and seers and feasts and assassins and a host of other sights and events. It is festival time!

Recommended for McKenna fans and anyone who enjoys adventures and personal relationships within a fantasy setting.

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America's First Woman Warrior: The Courage of Deborah Sampson
Alma H. Bond , and Lucy Freeman
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier

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ASIN: 1557785147

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ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY - Volume 53, number 3 - March 1969: The Living Daylights - James Bond; A Star for a Warrior; The Inside Story; The Unhappening; People Keep Dying Around Here; The Affair at 7 Rue de M-; The Boy Who Told Fibs; No Legal Evidence
Ellery (editor) (Ian Fleming; Manly Wade Wellman; Lawrence Treat; Jane Speed; Rhona Petrie; John Steinbeck; Victor Canning; Helen Nielsen; John Pierce; Gerald Kersh; Agatha Christie; Florence V. Mayberry; Lon L. Breen; Anthony Gilbert) Queen
Manufacturer: Davis Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GW0QXI

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The Warriors Bond (tale of einarinn, volume 4)
juliet e mckenna
Manufacturer: eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739431013

Product Description

fantasy with swords, artifacs and magic and the greed of rival houses fighting fo control of the riches of kellarin. a good plot with lots of action and intrigue

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Warriors Bond :Einarinn 4
Juliet E Mckenna
Manufacturer: EOS PUBLISHING
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WUBR46

AMAZING STORIES - Volume 17, number 5 - May 1943: The Machine; Twisted Giant of Mars; Adam's Eve; The Ordeal of Lancelot Biggs; Warrior Queen of Lolarth; Juggernaut Jones Draftee; Bridge of Banishment; Priestess of the Floating Skull; Death in Time

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AMAZING STORIES - Volume 17, number 5 - May 1943: The Machine; Twisted Giant of Mars; Adam's Eve; The Ordeal of Lancelot Biggs; Warrior Queen of Lolarth; Juggernaut Jones Draftee; Bridge of Banishment; Priestess of the Floating Skull; Death in Time
B. G. (editor) (Robert Moore Williams; Festus Pragnell; Richard O. Lewis; Nelson S. Bond; Ross Rocklynne; A. R. McKenzie; Leroy Yerxa; Edwin Benson; William McCown; Alexander Blade) Davis
Manufacturer: Ziff Davis Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVU2EC

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The Warrior's Bond (Tale of Einarinn)
Juliet E. McKenna
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OES3OM

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The Warriors Bond

Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HPY7IE

Book Description

Elizabeth Hand's darkly sensual debut novel took the science fiction and general reading public by storm and now, seven years later, it is available again in a handsome trade paperback edition. Heralded as a considerable stylistic and imaginative accomplishment, as noteworthy in its way as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, by People magazine, Winterlong explores the disturbing remains of humanity irrevocably altered by genetic engineering run amok.

Amid the ruins of a once great city, a girl and her beautiful long-lost twin brother are drawn to the seductive voice of a green-eyed boy whose name is Death. Together they must journey through a poisoned garden filled with children who kill and beasts that speak--all the while resisting the evil that compels them to join in a nightmare ritual of blood that will unleash the power of the ancients and signal the end of humanity.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping yet ultimately unfulfilling.......2002-08-08

I truly enjoy Hand's writing - lyrical, expressive and detailed. As an example of her early work, this novel is a phenomenal piece of writing. Her characters are magnificent and she breaks just about every taboo you can think of without losing her sense of style. However, I found the ending to drag slightly, as she had left a great many loose ends to tie up. At this point I often found myself loosing sight of the plot. Certainly worth a read, but I would recommend Aestival Tide and Glimmering over it.

Rich, deep and satisfying........2000-07-04

This is the kind of science fiction novel you do not see very often any more. Elizabeth Hand has managed to combine elements of mythology and weird fiction with cybernetic SF and spiced the brew with luxuriant blossoms from the garden of the Decadents. I say it this way because people have misunderstood so much. You cannot think Anne Rice when you read Elizabeth Hand. Yes, one can identify scraps of H.P. Lovecraft, Christina Rossetti and especially Tanith Lee, but Hand is not trying to write like anyone but herself.

And I'm only midway through the first chapter.

darkly beautiful.......2000-04-21

Every once in a while a book comes along that changes the way you look at the world. This was one of those books for me. It's gorgeously written and full of deep symbolism and mythic imagry (don't even try to understand it without 1st looking into the myth of Baal and Anat,) But on many levels, it is, as one reviewer stated, shattering. This is a book for those who are willing to brave dense language, seemingly wandering narative, and difficult imagry (on more levels than one,) but it is worth the work.

Some things make worlds tilt...........2000-01-16

I have never read something so completely jarring and overwhelming as this. I initially picked it up in a used bookstore before going on a trip as something to pass the timed and quickly became mired in the words and feelings and depth of this timeless piece of work. The reader feels the characters, the setting, the stories in a way that no other writer I dare say is capable of, with the exception of maybe Thomas Harris. But just like other novelists of her caliber, Elizabeth hand is underrated and forgotten all too quickly. Her writing is timeless, and this novel is the best example.

Dark and Serious Sci-Fi.......1999-12-18

Words, like shadows in a forest, evade me: they are tangled in the web of thoughts and feelings I felt while reading this masterpiece of post-apocalyptic beauty and horror. This is not light reading; it draws on mythic sources and tranmutes them into a world so darkly beautiful and rich, it's almost tangible. It will draw you in with its seductive, elegiac tone, reminiscent of the best writing from Anne Rice and, dare I say it, Edgar Allen Poe! Your mind will linger in this world long after the story is through, and you will keep the book near you while you read it so that you will be reminded that it is not a dream. Read this book and be forever changed.

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She did her homework!

Good recipes but not that practical

A lovely, lovely book for food lovers

Excellent Recipes!

Not for vegetarians!

The Bean Bible: A Legumaniac's Guide to Lentils, Peas, and Every Edible Bean on the Planet!
Aliza Green
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0762406895

Customer Reviews:

She did her homework!.......2007-05-09

This author really did her homework and has given us much information about beans and many excellent recipes. The recipes are not mostly simple in my view, however. I find a goodly number of ingredients in many. So if you define simple as having only 3-5 ingredients, know that this book is more complex overall. It's an excellent recipe collection.

Good recipes but not that practical.......2005-12-05

I have used many of the recipes in this book and they have all turned out well and were delicious. The information on beans provided in the beginning of the book is excellent and thorough and the author is obviously very knowledgeable and a talented cook. Here's why I only give it three stars:
1. Ingrediants used in many of the recipes can be obscure or hard to find, especially if you do not live in major metropolitan area with good access to ethnic and/or specialty food stores.
2. While none of the recipes I have tried are difficult, many of them are very time consuming and require a lot of preparation. This is not a book for someone looking for quick and easy family dinners.
3. This is not a book for vegetarians or people looking for a lot of meatless entree options as many of the recipes center on meat or have meat ingrediants.
4. The recipes in this book cover all corners of legume world so if you're looking for mostly recipes that center on beans as people commonly think of them (black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzos, etc.) this book may not be for you.

A lovely, lovely book for food lovers.......2004-12-29

This book is quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks. Each recipe begins with a descriptive paragraph containing historical information about the dish or specific recollections from the author as to the origin or the travels that led to its creation. It is imaginative, innovative, and very informative. I really love it.

Excellent Recipes!.......2004-07-15

I bought the book because beans are so healthy and since they are a prebiotic food they are good for a number of degenerative diseases (especially candida). The recipes are so good that I don't even feel like I'm cooking for health reasons! I would recommend this book to anybody who has a discriminating palate.

Not for vegetarians!.......2004-05-25

The information in the first few chapters regarding all the different kinds of beans and how to cook them is very useful. I learned a lot I didn't know, even though I've been cooking lots of beans for years. However my biggest complaint is that, while not claiming to be a vegetarian cookbook, one might reasonably expect that something called "The Bean Bible" might be more vegetarian than not. But most of the recipes in this book call for meat of some kind, and many I would say are even more meat-based than bean-based. This is a real disappointment to me since I am a vegetarian. It's easy enough to replace the odd meat item in a recipe with a soy based meat item, but these recipes rely very heavily on meat and many do not lend themselves to substitutions. I would only recommend this book to hearty meat eaters.

Book Description

Eye-popping review of 90s fashion — spanning styles from glamor and glitz to "retro" and "grunge." Included are 2 dolls, in swimwear and underwear, and 30 costumes designed by such stellar names as Anne Klein, Christian Lacroix, Geoffrey Beene, Arnold Scaasi, Bob Mackie, Nina Ricci, and many more.

Customer Reviews:

Designs of the Nineties.......2005-04-20

I've admired Tom Tierney's work for years, so I bought this book to complete my collection of his "Great Fashion Designs of ..." series.
Unfortunately, it is not among his best works. The dolls are not particularly well drawn (one has a huge forehead). The selection of outfits does not represent the best designs of the decade, nor the best work of the designers included. There are a number of pieces from labels which were not influential during the era (Adolfo, Nina Ricci, Arnold Scaasi, Bob Mackie, etc). Also, some designers are represented by dresses which are not the best examples of their styles (Versace, Gaultier, Alexander McQueen for Givenchy).
One of the few highlights is a beaded cloak by Galliano for Dior. The detail and color of this illustration are superb.

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