SUMMARY: Welcome to the strangest, most distinctive future ever imagined by a science fiction writer. An insterstellar empire ruled by the mysterious Lords of the Instrumentality, whose access to the drug stroon from the planet Norstrilia confers on them virtual immortality. A world in which wealthy and leisured humanity is served by the underpeople, genetically engineered animals turned into the semblance of people. A world in which the great ships which sail between the stars are eventually supplanted by the mysterious, instantaneous technique of planoforming. A world of wonder and myth, and extraordinary imagination. Views: 5
October "Toby" Daye is a changeling-half human and half fae—and the only one who has earned knighthood. Now she must take on a nightmarish new challenge. Someone is stealing the children of the fae as well as mortal children, and all signs point to Blind Michael. Toby has no choice but to track the villain down—even when there are only three magical roads by which to reach Blind Michael's realm, home of the Wild Hunt—and no road may be taken more than once. If Toby cannot escape with the children, she will fall prey to the Wild Hunt and Blind Michael's inescapable power. Views: 5
SUMMARY: Whoopi Goldberg has always been her own woman. From her days in standup, through her acclaimed work as an actor, and as co-host of The View, Whoopi has been outspoken and honest, respectfully taking no prisoners even while drawing people in and making them laugh or cry. Total honesty, administered civilly and with a healthy dose of audacity, is her hallmark and her way of life. In her new book, Whoopi shares stories from her own life when she's been forced to deal with tough situations in family, marriage, friendship, and business. She relates how she navigated through them with healthy honesty, which has all but vanished in the era of the volatile pundit. Naturally, she tells these stories with the humor, irreverence, and joy for which she's known, and she also speaks up about the challenges dealing with one another here and now, especially with the growing disrespect and rudeness in this country. Cheeky, a bit naughty, occasionally in-your-face, this humorous book will bring readers into her world. Views: 5
In April 1945, the Allies are charging toward Berlin from the west, the Russians from the east. For Hitler, the situation is hopeless. But at this turning point in history, another war is about to explode.To win World War II, the Allies dealt with the devil. Joseph Stalin helped FDR, Churchill, and Truman crush Hitler. But what if “Uncle Joe” had given in to his desire to possess Germany and all of Europe? In this stunning novel, Robert Conroy picks up the history of the war just as American troops cross the Elbe into Germany. Then Stalin slams them with the brute force of his enormous Soviet army.From American soldiers and German civilians trapped in the ruins of Potsdam to U.S. military men fighting behind enemy lines, from a scholarly Russia expert who becomes a secret player in a new war to Stalin’s cult of killers in Moscow, this saga captures the human face of international conflict. With the Soviets vastly outnumbering the Americans—but undercut by chronic fuel shortages and mistrust—Eisenhower employs a brilliant strategy of retreat to buy critical time for air superiority. Soon, Truman makes a series of controversial decisions, enlisting German help and planning to devastate the massive Red Army by using America’s ultimate and most secret weapon.From the Trade Paperback edition.From Publishers WeeklyWWII alternate historian Conroy (1945) sets this tale largely in Berlin as it prepares for division among the four Allied powers in accordance with the Yalta agreements. President Truman doesn't trust Stalin and makes the controversial decision to move his troops across the Elbe River toward Berlin in an attempt to lessen Stalin's growing influence in Europe. The move ignites smoldering tensions between Russia and the States, and Stalin's enormous Red Army attacks its former allies, extending the war and threatening the world. An ensemble cast of fictional characters (an American soldier, a German refugee, a professor of Russian history turned secret agent, etc.) and historical figures powers the meticulously researched story line with diverse accounts of the horrors of war, making this an appealing read for fans of history and alternate history alike. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistStarred Review Conroy’s latest novel is substantially his best. It supposes that in 1945, President Truman decided to send American troops across the Elbe to claim the American share of Berlin. That catches Stalin in a paranoiac mood, and the Red Army attacks the force headed to Berlin. Despite a Soviet leak, the Americans are surprised and destroyed, except for a small force besieged in Potsdam on the outskirts of Berlin. Matters go from bad to worse as Stalin decides to take the opportunity to cross the Elbe and head west. The Western Allies are forced into a separate peace and later an alliance with a semi-rehabilitated Germany but eventually escalate the conflict by striking at Russia’s strained fuel resources. Add the prospective disintegration of the Western Alliance over the prolongation of the war (Britain has a strong and violent peace movement, De Gaulle plays hardball) and J. Edgar Hoover displaying a paranoia that rivals Stalin’s, and every aspect of the scenario becomes engrossing and grimly plausible. Even the book’s two well-realized romances add interest to the proceedings, and the suspense holds up literally to the last page. If Conroy’s enthusiasm for alternate history leads to a sequel to this one, it will continue a story comparable to the best by the subgenre’s masters. --Roland Green Views: 5
