Amazon.com Review The seventh book in Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, Uther is a parallel novel to The Eagle's Brood . It fills in some gaps about another major character in the Arthurian legend, Uther Pendragon, who is Merlyn's cousin and King Arthur's father. Uther tells the tale of a young man torn between his love for his adopted Camulod and for the land of his birth, Cambria. Born to be one of the seven Chiefs of the Pendragon federation of Cambria, with the possibility of becoming its king one day, Uther goes from being a carefree boy to a seasoned leader of his people who must wage war to protect his land. Along the way, Uther loses his friendship with Merlyn and falls in love with the wife of his enemy, thereby forging a union that will lead to the birth of Arthur, King of the Britons. Once again Whyte weaves a tale of intrigue, betrayal, love, and war in a gritty and realistic tale that continues to explore the legend of Camelot. With Uther , Whyte is at his best--he takes his time telling the story and allows his main characters to be both flawed and heroic. Fans of the Camulod Chronicles will be familiar with the inevitable ending of this book, but Uther is a worthwhile addition to the series. For those new to the series, Uther can stand alone as an entry to the story, but it might be best to start with The Skystone , where Whyte's tale truly begins.
From Publishers Weekly The grim medieval setting of the Camulod Chronicles is no congenial spot like its romantic analogue, Arthurian legend's shining Camelot. In this lusty, brawling, ingenious re-creation, seventh in his popular series, Whyte traces the short, valorous life of Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, as a parallel novel to 1997's The Eagles' Brood, the story of Uther's cousin and close childhood friend, Caius Merlyn Britannicus. Whyte deftly stage manages Uther's boyhood, adolescence, early manhood and tragically unlucky kingship, revealing, through a host of well-rounded minor characters drawn from both legend and a seemingly inexhaustible imagination, a man whose courage and honor constantly war against his melancholy core. As a young man, Uther succeeds his father as king of Cambria, while Merlyn assumes leadership of Camulod. For most of his life, Uther battles against verminous King Lot of Cornwall, who brutalizes his arranged-marriage bride, Ygraine of Ireland. Having sworn to lead his primitive Pendragon tribes as their king, Uther still yearns for the dignity, civilized values and warm McDonald. Views: 65
Beloved author Ami McKay is back, bringing us a magical follow-up in the tradition of Victorian winter tales to her mesmerizing bestseller, The Witches of New York. During the nights between Christmas and New Year's, the witches of New York—Adelaide Thom, Eleanor St. Clair and the youngest, Beatrice Dunn—gather before the fire to tell ghost stories and perform traditional Yuletide divinations. (Did you know that roasting chestnuts were once used to foretell one's fate?) As the witches roast chestnuts and melt lead to see their fate, a series of odd messengers land on their doorstep bearing invitations for a New Year's Eve masquerade hosted by a woman they've never met. Gossip, dreams and portents follow, leading the witches to question the woman's motives. Is she as benevolent as she seems or is she laying a trap. And so, as Gilded-Age New York prepares to ring in the new year, the witches don their finery and heard for the... Views: 65
From Publishers WeeklyGeorge presents a romanticized Henry VIII and fails to capture the "brilliance, the cunning or the ruthlessness of the grim monarch who tore down monasteries to fill his coffers, executed two of his six wives and sacrificed friend and enemy alike for political expediency," PW commented. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review"A remarkable achievement...Magnificently researched and admirably written." --_Mary Stewart_ "Her novel is a...banquet feast for most readers...astonishing. There's rousing drama, robust atmosphere and consistently solid characterization; and finally, Margaret George's triumph is anchored in the urgent rhythm her writing attains." --_Forth Worth Star Telegram_ "It doth brim with lust, violence, cruelty and living conservation...Margaret George has found a new and fresh way to tell the story. --_Detroit Free Press_-- Review Views: 65
The Somerset sisters, three beautiful, headstrong debutantes in Regency London, are discovering that a bit of scandal is a delightful thing . . . For the sake of propriety, and her younger sisters' reputations, Iris Somerset has kept her rebellious streak locked away. But though she receives a proposal from Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington, Iris can't marry a man she knows isn't truly enamored with her. In fact, Iris no longer wants to be chosen—she wants to choose. Under the clandestine tutelage of "wicked widow" Lady Annabel Tallant, she'll learn how to steer her own marriage prospects—and discover her secret appetites . . . What kind of debutante refuses a marquess? Finn is surprised, a little chastened—and thoroughly intrigued. This new, independent version of Iris is far more alluring than the polished socialite she used to be. Finn believed he needed a safe, quiet wife to curb his wilder impulses. But... Views: 65
All of her life, Epiphany Salerno has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind. Now, with the death of Mrs. Lora-the family friend who took Epie into her home-the sixteen-year-old must move to Dallas to live with her indifferent mother and new stepfather. Trapped on the low-rent side of Blue Sky Hill, the half-Italian and half-African-American Epie doesn't fit in-and soon finds herself on the wrong side of the law. To make restitution, she's sent to work in another place she's not wanted: a home on the upscale streets of the The Hill. When J. Norman Alvord learns that his daughter has hired a teenager to stay with him in the afternoons, he's determined to nix the arrangement. Widowed and suffering from heart trouble, Norman wants to be left alone. But in Epie's presence, Norman finds a mystery. Deep in his mind lie memories of another house, another life, and a young black woman, a housekeeper, who saved him... As summer comes to Blue Sky Hill, two residents from different worlds will journey through a turbulent past and find that with an unexpected road trip through sleepy Southern towns come a life-changing friendship...and clues to a family secret hidden for a lifetime. Views: 65
A man alone—against the might of a German cruiser
The autumn of 1914. In Europe, the warring nations are already locked in a bloody stalemate. But thousands of miles away, on the remote Pacific island of Resolution, a different—and very personal—battle is about to begin.
High among the island’s volcanic crags, a young English sailor gazes down on the German raider Ziethen, the battlecruiser whose guns had sunk his ship and sent his crewmates to their deaths. Armed only with a stolen rifle and stubborn, unquestioning courage, Leading Seaman Albert Brown is determined to stop Ziethen from making herself seaworthy and leaving Resolution before the searching British navy arrives. Even if it costs his twenty-year-old life . . .
Brown on Resolution is an epic tale of individual courage in war, one of the incomparable C. S. Forester’s most stirring story-telling achievements. Views: 65
A revolution is waged against a totalitarian government in this novel of a dystopian near-future America from a #1 New York Times–bestselling author. In the heart of Philadelphia, insurgent Andrew Durant has been nursing a festering rage. And he's not alone. Through underground networks, he's found himself among a secret thousands, building an army called the Minute Men. They're readying themselves for war to reclaim what was once America. In the nation now known as the Democracy, independent thought is a thing of the past. The Constitution is waste paper. A conscienceless president has been appointed by the military—for life. The government has co-opted farmland crops. Citizens are divided between two classes: wealthy corporations and the destitute. Areas of the country devastated by war or natural disaster remain unchecked. On behalf of national security, neighbors are instructed to spy on one another. Exposing those who are... Views: 65
