Christopher Paolini's world of Alagaësia is a magical land, full of mysterious people, objects, and places-one that has captivated millions of fans across the globe. Now, with the Inheritance Fan Book, those fans have a resource in the form of an A-to-Z almanac, where they can find everything they ever wanted to know about this fascinating world. From Arya to Zar'roc, this is an exhaustive encyclopedia about the land of the Inheritance cycle that also offers little-known facts gleaned from dozens of interviews with Christopher Paolini.Did you know . . .-that Helgrind, the den of the Raz'ac, is based on a real rock formation?-that Saphira's blue-tinted vision was inspired by Paolini's own color blindness?-that the Broddrings are the original humans who traveled to Alagaësia with King Palancar?A must-have book for every Inheritance fan!From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 32
Kathleen Shaw lost everything–the only man she’ll ever love, the husband who had rescued and adored her, her career, and now her eyesight and hearing. She has even lost the Forever Friends because she’s too proud to call for their help. That she survived the boat explosion is a miracle. When Hunter La Farge returns to Jefferson Parish searching for her, is it too much to ask for another miracle? Views: 32
From Publishers WeeklyDeveraux (Days of Gold) returns to Edilean, Va., to tie up some loose ends, return to familiar characters, and introduce a few new ones. Sara Shaw is happily preparing for her marriage to Greg Anders, and though her family doesn't like him very much, she sees his good nature. That is, until he disappears three weeks before the wedding, and Mike Newland crawls through the trapdoor in the floor of her apartment. As it turns out, Mike is her friend Tess's brother and a cop investigating Greg, who is actually a criminal with a fiendish plan that Mike doesn't yet fully understand. As Mike and Sara fall in love, they remain at risk until they can figure out what Greg wants. Readers familiar with the series will delight in immersing themselves back in the comfortable world of Edilean, and new readers should enjoy exploring it with Mike and Sara. While the threat presented by the villains is minimal, Deveraux's colorful cast and easy way with words shine, even if the story's thin on plot. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. FromUndercover detective extraordinaire Mike Newland's new and urgent case sends him from Ft. Lauderdale to Edilean, Virginia, the setting for Deveraux's popular series. His job is to protect Sara Shaw, whose fiancé Greg is part of the notorious Vandlo crime family. Everyone in Edilean hates Greg except Sara, who stubbornly believes in Greg even after he disappears weeks away from their wedding. Mike figures it will be easy to get Sara to trust him; women have always been attracted to him. But Sara is the exception. Weary of being seen as weak, she believes hunky Mike, brother of her best friend, has been sent to tempt her away from marrying Greg. The longer Mike stays, however, the more appealing he becomes to Sara, and soon they begin revealing secrets to each other, including Mike's true mission. As Deveraux continues her series, she brings to life the sort of sweet and spunky heroines who attract the muscular men her fans expect and enjoy. So this is another guilty-pleasure romance of suspense that will hook readers and leave them with a smile. --Patty Engelmann Views: 32
Maeve O'Malley rescued an unconscious man one December night, but her brother's sense of propriety forced her to marry the stranger. Art collector Charles Rycroft, from an old and wealthy Boston family, lost his memory following the attack which robbed him of a valuable sketch of St. Nicholas-and on recovering it he found himself married to a beautiful Irish girl-from the serving class. Victorian Romance by Sandra Madden; originally published by Zebra Views: 32
Deep beneath a modern metropolis lies the Catacombs, the kingdom of mutant rats of superior intellect. Following a bloody coup, the once peaceful democracy has become a dictatorship, ruled by decadent High Minister Kildeer and vicious Billycan, a demented former lab rat and now head of the Kill Army. Three young orphan rats--brothers Vincent and Victor and a clever female named Clover--rebel against the Ministry, joining forces with Juniper, Billycan's archenemy. Juniper and his maverick bank of followers, helped by a tribe of earthworms, plot to overthrow their oppressors and liberate the citizens to create a new city: Nightshade City. This impossible-to-put-down animal fantasy, set in a brilliantly imagined subterranean world, explores timeless themes of freedom, forgiveness, the bonds of family, and the power of love. From School Library JournalGrade 4–8—Vincent and Victor Nightshade live in the underground rat city known as the Catacombs, home to unusually long-lived and intelligent rats. Their father, Julius Nightshade, was once a leader of the city, but now the evil High Minister Killdeer and his vicious helper, Billycan, have taken control and terrorize its inhabitants, demanding food as tribute and forcing orphans to serve in their army or kitchens. When Vincent and Victor try to escape Killdeer's clutches, they meet Juniper Belancort, a friend of their father, who now leads the resistance against Killdeer. Along with Juniper's niece, Clover, they are drawn into the struggle to free the rats from Killdeer's reign and bring them to a new home, Nightshade City. The three help develop a plan for the rebel rats and their ally earthworms to tunnel into Killdeer's palace and confront him directly, leading to a variety of underground battles. Wagner has created an atmospheric and action-filled tale, and her balance of strong male and female protagonists is appealing. Fans of Erin Hunter's "Warriors" books (HarperCollins) may enjoy the animal action and touch of romance, and the authentic rat and earthworm abilities add to the strength of the story.—Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From BooklistPresumed dead by his enemies, Juniper is an elder in a community of rats who, since being forced from their catacomb homes, have started to build a new democratic world, Nightshade City, and are preparing to overthrow the oppressive ruling rodent regime, headed by dictator Killdeer. Switching perspective between Nightshade and Killdeer’s worlds, the third-person narrative unfolds a classic and predictable battle between good and evil as it explores themes of family loyalty, spirituality, freedom, unrequited love, and coming-of-age. The stock characters, including compatriot earthworms and a human boy, are easy to visualize, although a satisfying, rich picture of the underground setting never fully emerges. The rebellion is ultimately accomplished with a persuasive speech and only a modicum of violence, but there should still be enough gore throughout to satisfy those who like to see some fur fly in their fantasy. This first novel, with its cliff-hanger ending, will appeal to fans of the Redwall and Warriors series. Grades 5-8. --Andrew Medlar Views: 32
