Review“Lamb knew how to write straight-ahead adventure the way Michelangelo knew how to paint.”—S. M. Stirling(S. M. Stirling 20090930)"Rest assured that every single solitary tale within the covers of Swords From the West is worth reading."—Deuce Richardson, Cimmerian(Deuce Richardson Cimmerian )"As a young writer and history buff, I loved Harold Lamb, and this reprinting of the seventeen so-called "Crusader stories" from Adventure Magazine reminded me why. . . . His imagination, his gifts of plot and action writing, and his passion for worlds and peoples not white, not western and not like us, make the book a delight to read."—Cecelia Holland, Historical Novels Review(Cecelia Holland Historical Novels Review ) Product DescriptionBeset by enemies on every side and torn by internal divisions, the crusader kingdoms were a hotbed of intrigue, where your greatest ally might be your natural enemy. Because lives and kingdoms often rested on the edge of a sword blade, it was a time when a bold heart and a steady hand would see you far—so long as you watched your back.Here, for the first time, are all seventeen of Harold Lamb’s uncollected crusader stories in one volume. Read now of the fall of kingdoms and the fate of doomed men, of desperate battles and brave comrades, of shrewd maids and scheming nobles. Join Nial O’Gordon, a young crusader riding deep into Asia to forget his past. Venture forth with Sir Robert of Antioch to cross blades with the Mongol hordes. Join King Richard the Lionhearted for his last battle. Stand firm beside Sir John and his Arab friend Khalil against a band of traitors. And sail out with Michael Bearn on a mission of vengeance, as he risks his life to bring down a sultan and his kingdom.(20090306) Views: 32
From School Library JournalGrade 8 Up—In this concluding volume in the quartet, Maerad and her brother Hem face war, flood, and plague as they try to find one other and defeat the Nameless One. Now they have half of the lost Treesong, the powerful magic song known only in legend and prophecy. Both of them have bardic magic, and they are pushed to the limits of their endurance and abilities as they face an enticing and almost overwhelmingly powerful enemy. The grim tone here, particularly as Maerad begins to perceive horrific visions from the past, is consistent with the sense of imminent danger, and Croggon brings together a variety of elements and characters from the previous volumes to build to a compelling confrontation. Her device of presenting the novels as the translation of an epic from a lost civilization allows her to present details about the lives of the characters after the conclusion of the story and provide background information. While not a starting point for new readers, fans of the series will enjoy seeing the final stage of Maerad's transformation from a slave to her world's savior, and they will once again be drawn into this complex and gripping tale.—_Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI_ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. FromIn the fourth and final book of the Pellinor quartet, the primary focus shifts back from Hem to his sister, Maerad, the series’ heroine. After saving Innail from a desperate attack by the forces of evil, Maerad and her mentor, Cadvan, set out once more on their quest to solve the riddle of the treesong. Maerad and Hem reunite to set their talismans and powers against the increasingly menacing forces of evil. From the refinement of character development to the dramatic portrayal of impending doom, the clearly written narrative creates a fitting conclusion to this epic high-fantasy series. Grades 7-12. --Carolyn Phelan
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Arzee the dwarf had a dream, and now that dream has come true. Arzee has just been crowned as head projectionist at the Noor, the Bombay cinema where he has been working since his teens. The Noor's vast, encircling darkness, the projection room's invisible perch above the vault of the cinema on one side and the bustle of south Bombay on the other, the grand illusion-making of the great beam: these riches are what give Arzee the power and the heft that his own body does not possess. Arzee is sure that the worst of his troubles are behind him, and that he can now marry and settle down -- even if his wife is someone his fond mother has had to scout for him. But not for the first time, Arzee has it all wrong! The Noor is about to be closed down, taking away to its grave all his hopes of this world and his walls against it. A new darkness threatens, more sinister than the comforting womb-night of the Noor. Arzee knows he will be crushed by that new cycle of rage and impotence, all these added to the perpetual indignity of walking face-to-face with "the crotches and asses of this world". Arzee the Dwarf follows Arzee over two weeks, setting off Arzee's frenzied plotting and pleading against the beating and pulsing of the great city around him. The narration vividly brings to life not just the protagonist, but also a host of characters to whom Arzee turns in his hour of need: the departing head projectionist Phiroz, the sneering faux-gangster Deepak, the poetical taxi-driver Dashrath Tiwari, the enigmatic hairdresser Monique, and the garrulous and homely Shireen. Can Arzee fight off all the forces that menace his world, or will the vast city that he loves succeed in crushing him? Chandrahas Choudhury's bittersweet comedy, selected by World Literature Today as one of 60 essential works of modern Indian literature in English, is a novel about the strange beauty of human dreaming. Views: 32
The Gold family learns that the relatively peaceful period of the seventies is just as dangerous as wartime, when they face industry changes that threaten the existence of the powerful Gold Aviation empire. Views: 32
Here is the sidesplitting diary of Connie Pickles, age fifteen, on her way to Paris for a school exchange program. She has glamorously big plans to reunite her long-lost French grandparents with her mother, get over a crush on her best friend, William, and make herself très chic. But nothing seems to be going right! It's just Connie's luck to end up on the wrong train, get stuck living with an angry Goth girl who enjoys making her miserable, and wind up with a horrible haircut. Connie's trip to Paris is turning out to be quel désastre!But plucky Connie isn't going to give up so easily. Through candid and hilarious diary entries in this sequel to Cross Your Heart, Connie Pickles, you can't help but root for Connie as she navigates her way through each wacky, often touching adventure — with only her friends, her sense of humor, and her limited French vocabulary to guide her. Views: 32
SUMMARY: Historian Brownworth presents an absorbing look at the forgotten Byzantine Empire, its surprising role in shaping Western civilization, and the lessons it holds for modern societies. Views: 32
Meet Benoît Courrèges, aka Bruno, a policeman in a small village in the South of France. He's a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life. He has a gun but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes all that. Now Bruno must balance his beloved routines--living in his restored shepherd's cottage, shopping at the local market, drinking wine, strolling the countryside--with a politically delicate investigation. He's paired with a young policewoman from Paris and the two suspect anti-immigrant militants. As they learn more about the dead man's past, Bruno's suspicions turn toward a more complex motive.Bonus material! Martin Walker is often asked by his readers for vacation recommendations in the area where his best-selling series is set. In "A Perfect Weekend in Perigord," Walker shares his itinerary for an... Views: 32
Love – and murder – is in the air… It took Joe Grey's human, Clyde, nearly forever to pop the question to Ryan Flannery, and what more romantic time to tie the knot than on Valentine's Day? But dark secrets from the past, uncovered by Joe and his feline pals, threaten to ruin the happy union. First, a body discovered many miles away reopens a ten-year-old cold case involving a man who disappeared days before his own wedding. The jilted bride is back in town and eager to find the truth… or to hide evidence of her own wrongdoing. Trouble is, she's soon involved with Ryan's father, who is house-sitting and preparing meals for Joe Grey while Clyde and Ryan are on their honeymoon. Then another body is found closer to home on the grounds of a ruined estate, deserted save for a band of unusual feral cats. Around the wrist of the corpse is a bracelet bearing the image of a rearing cat, and the cats discover a rare literary volume hidden nearby that divulges their own secret: their special ability to speak. But as the police investigate the two murders, located more than five hundred miles apart, only Joe Grey suspects that the crimes are related. It takes a chase from which the tomcat wonders if he'll emerge alive for anyone to hone in on the connection between the murders. Finally, feline perception and cop sense combine to bring a killer to justice in this delightful new tale involving Shirley Rousseau Murphy's three amazing cats. Views: 32
Pittsburgh Police Officer Kate O'Hern is on the trail of a killer targeting cops. Only problem, he's already killed her once...Trauma surgeon Joshua Lightner saved Kate's life, only to have her awaken suffering from an unexpected side effect: visons of other people's deaths. As a doctor, he refuses to believe in "psychic mumbo-jumbo" but as a man, he can't deny his feelings for Kate.When the killer targets them both, are they living on BORROWED TIME? Views: 32
