Between The Rivers by Harry Turtledove Printed by Tor Fantasy Cover art by Gary Ruddell Overall I guess it wasn't a bad book, but I like some of his other books much better. This takes place early in human history where each rule their own city. But the god of Gibil has become lazy and actually lets men think for themselves instead of telling them how to act every single second.

The Dragon In Lyonesse by Gordon R. Dickson Printed by Tor Fantasy Cover art by Julie Bell This is one of Dickson's Dragon Knight books. I haven't read any of the others which may explain why it did confuse me sometimes. Overally, I guess it wasn't bad, but its not one I would read again. The land of Lyonesse(home of King Arthur) is being threated by evil powers and the Dragon Knight, Jim Eckert, goes off to save it.

Faded Steel Heat by Glen Cook Printed by Roc Fantasy Cover art by Allan Pollack For some reason I just couldn't get into this book, so it seemed kinda long and drawn out. It's about a man named Garrett who acts like a modern day private detective in a fantasy world setting.

Wild Magic by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Kevin Tweddell This is the conclusion to The Godwards trilogy. Calandryll chases after the wizard Rhythamun who carries the book the Arcanum, which can awaken the mad god. He in turn is being hunted by an undead woman named Cennaire.

Dark Magic by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Kevin Tweddell The second in The Godwars series. Calandryll has been exiled and must travel with his two companions through a land that is plunging into civil war.

Forbidden Magic by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Kevin Tweddell This is the first book in The Godwars series. I like Angus Wells' writing, and I think that this series is better than his The Books of the Kingdoms. A young scholar named Calandryll chafes under the constant putdowns by his father and brother after his mother has died. However it is learned that he does possess a magical talent that can help him defeat a wizard bent on awakening a sleeping god who will destroy the earth.

Hit Or Myth by Robert Asprin Printed by Ace Fantasy Cover art by Walter Velez This is the fourth book in the Myth series, King Rodrick leaves Skeeve in his place as his double. Which means that Skeeve must deal with getting married to Hemlock and having to deal with the possible invasion of Possiltum.

Myth Directions by Robert Asprin Printed by Ace Fantasy Cover art by Walter Velez In this third Myth book, Tanda and Skeeve travel to other dimensions to find the "right" birthday present for Aahz. Once they do find it, they now have to figure out how to steal it.

Myth Conceptions by Robert Asprin Printed by Ace Fantasy Cover art by Walter Velez This is the second book in the Myth series. Aahz has managed to get Skeeve hired as a Court Magician for Rodrick the Fifth of Possiltum. Skeeve must now find a way to defeat an invading army otherwise he'll be executed. Joined by his pet dragon Gleep and the green-haired demon Tanda, he attemps to overcome this problem.

Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin Printed by Ace Fantasy Cover art by Walter Velez I really like this series as its quite funny. This is the first book in which we find Skeeve, a magician's apprentice(who used to be a thief) alone with a Demon after his teacher has been killed. Turns out the Demon, named Aahz, has lost his powers due to a joke that Skeeve's teacher played on him and now he can't get back to his own dimension. So in the meantime he decides to take Skeeve as his apprentice

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by ??? Sparrowhawk must find out what is happening to destroy all of Earthsea. People are walking around like the living dead and have no will to live. Sparrowhawk travels to the end of the earth to seek out the evil thing or being that is causing this.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by ??? Sparrowhawk is now a dragonlord and one of the greatest wizards of Earthsea. He sets out to find the broken Ring of Erreth-Akbe which is hidden in the Tombs of Atuan. Unfortunately with all his great powers he finds himself trapped in them when he tries to steal the ring.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by ??? The first book in the Earthsea Trilogy, which in my opinion wasn't that good. The last time I had read this trilogy was in Junior High and all I had remembered was that I had read them, but had completely forgotten the what the books were about. Now that I've read them again I can see why I had forgotten, *vbg*. This is the beginning of the story of Sparrowhawk, Earthsea's greatest mage and how he became a dragonlord.

The Way Beneath by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Larry Elmore The last book in the trilogy of The Kingdoms, Kedryn has defeated the Taws, the Messenger of the god Ashar. But now Ashar is taking a more "active" roll in his fight to destroy the Kingdoms. He has kidnapped the wife of Kedryn and seeks to lure him back into the underworld to destroy him. Not only is this the only way that Kedryn can get his wife back, but it may be the only way he can defeat a god.

The Usurper by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Larry Elmore In this, the second book of The Kingdoms, Kedryn has found himself blinded after his last encounter with a minion of the Messenger. To regain his sight he must journey to the underworld and seek the shade of the warrior that had blinded him. Meanwhile, the Messenger, Taws, has infiltrated the Kingdoms and seeks to destroy them from within with a willing ally. A well written story which makes for good reading.

Wrath of Ashar by Angus Wells Printed by Bantam Books Cover art by Larry Elmore Angus Wells is a pretty good writer and this is the first book in the the trilogy of The Kingdoms. The Messenger of the evil god Ashar has come to assemble a horde of barbarians to defeat the might of the Kingdoms of Tamur. The only one able to defeat Taws, the Messenger, is Kedryn, who is barely a man and is still unaware of his destiny.

The Woods Out Back by R.A. Salvatore Printed by Ace Fantasy Cover art by Romas I had read another series by Salvatore a while ago, which wasn't too bad but I have to say that I liked the first book in this one much better. It's about a normal guy named Gary Leger (and we're talking one with a nine to five job) who gets swept away into the land of fairie, where he's made to wear the armor of a long lost hero.

The Knights of The Black Earth by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin Printed by Roc books Cover art by Steve Youll Typically I read more Fantasy books than Science Fiction, but I really liked this book, and will be trying to find the others after it. It's about a cyborg named Xris, the leader of one of the best mercenary groups in the galaxy, who has been searching a long time for his friend Dalin Rowan, only to find that he's not "himself" any more.

Dragon Fantastic edited by Rosalind M. Greenberg & Martin H. Greenberg Printed by Daw books cover art by John Howe This is a book with a number of short stories by such authors as Mickey Zucker Reichert, Alan Dean Foster, etc. Each story gives a different twist on the definition of a dragon, whether its the size of a bumblebee, or something that is found inside of us. Most of them are quite enjoyable and funny.

The Flame Upon The Ice by William R. Forstchen Printed by Del Rey cover art by Darrell K. Sweet This was the first of this series I had gotten, which led me to look for the first one. I know there has got to be a third one, but the problem is trying to find it. The Prophet, Michael Ormson, suffers a major tragedy, causing him to nearly go insane and to start a war that will destroy all of the religious orders. Meanwhile, the order who gave birth to the idea of a Prophet seek to control him.

Ice Prophet by William R. Forstchen Printed by Del Rey cover art by Darrell K. Sweet An older book, which can be hard to find. I had the second book in the series(see above) for quite a while, and had liked it. Finally found the first one at a small book store which does trade ins. Its set in the far distant future of Earth where nearly the whole world is covered in ice, and everyone gets around by ice boats. Religion has become a big part of society, but is threatened when the long awaited Prophet is born. Actually he was created by a certain, mysterious, religious order to use as a pawn for their advancement. However, to their dismay, it appears that Michael Ormson may very well be the real thing.

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells Printed by Tor Books cover art by Eric Peterson First off, concerning the picture on the front, I really don't remember reading about a floating castle that was on fire in the book. Then again I'm writing this a couple of months after I read the story..... The two main characters in the book are Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, and Kade, King Roland's bastard sister, the Fayre Queen of Air and Darkness, who you get the feeling could care less if she wasn't the Queen. The two join forces, an uneasy alliance at best, but further complicated by emotions, to stop a renegade Wizard bent on destroying everyone. Well written, but then I tend to like Martha Wells' writing.

The Seventh Gate by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Stephan Youll The Death Gate Cycle winds up with this, the seventh and last book. Lord Xar has captured Haplo and is trying to force him to tell him the location of the Seventh Gate so that he might take posession of it and use it to pretty much make the world in his image. The only way to do so is by killing Haplo and resurrecting him so that his captured soul will tell him where its at. Which, of course, ends up backfiring. I have read a number of books where at the end you say "That's it?!" This one here does have a very good ending. Overall, I'd say the series was a nice one to read, though the books aren't ones that I would keep to read again(well maybe ten years from now *g*).

Into The Labyrinth by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Stephan Youll The sixth book in the Death Gate Cycle. Haplo's lord, Xar, is now on the world of Abarrach, better known as the world of the Dead. He is trying to learn Necromancy, so that he might create armies to defeat his ancient enemy the Sartan. Along the way he learns of the Seventh Gate, a place of ultimate power from which the four worlds were originally sundered. Ends up that Haplo knows where its at so Xar sends someone to hunt him down and bring back his body so that he might resurrect him. However, Haplo finds himself in the Labyrinth along with Alfred and Hugh the Hand.

The Hand of Chaos by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Keith Parkinson I had to go to my local used book store to pick this one up so I could finish the series! This is the fifth book in the Death Gate Cycle and we find the Dragon snakes have escaped from Chelestra and now inhabit the other worlds. Their goal is to forment as much chaos, hatred, and fear as they can so they can feed on it. We continue on with Haplo who must decide to disobey his lord, who thinks he is the one to rule over everyone and everything. Somehow, the assassin Hugh the Hand has been resurrected much to his frustration and finds himself contracted to kill Haplo.

Belgarath the Sorceror by David and Leigh Eddings Printed by Del Rey Books cover art by Laurence Schwinger If you ever wanted to know what happened before the Belgariad series, here's the book! Chronicles the story of Belgarath who has lived for thousands of years, and written from his own perspective. The book, to me, started off a little slow, but then it got really engrossing, and has many heart wrenching scenes in it, as well as quite a few funny ones.

Dawn For A Distant Earth by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Printed by Tor Books cover art by Wayne Barlowe Over all not a bad book, but there were quite a few parts where the author got a bit to technical and it felt like I was reading a geometry book. I much prefer Modesitt's fantasy books having to do with the magic of Recluse(very good reading there!).

Serpent Mage by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Keith Parkinson The Death Gate Cycle seems to get better as it goes along. In this, the fourth book in the series, the reader is taken to the world of Chelestra which is one big sea. One of the main characters in the series, Alfred, finds those of his kind that, until now, he knew only from legend. He finds that they're not so "saintly" as they've been protrayed and questions their actions, which leads to Alfred being made an outcast among his own kind.

Fire Sea by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Keith Parkinson This is book three of the Death Gate Cycle. It is a good book, although it gets quite morbid as the people practice Necromancy, in which they raise their dead and set them to do the same tasks as they did in real life - nanny, soldier, servant, etc.

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan Printed by Tor Books cover art by Darrell K. Sweet Book eight in the Wheel of Time series. What can I say? Well, its by Robert Jordan, its great, its by Robert Jordan, its a keeper, its by Robert Jordan..... If you've never read any of these books before, you should really start out with book one - The Eye of The World. Its a totally engrossing, and believable world, that Robert Jordan creates. I was up late into the night reading this book, and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment - I wish he wrote faster!

Elven Star by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Keith Parkenson The second installment of the Deathgate Cycle series, and I have to say it is much better than the first one. It is quite engrossing, and the humor is just great! If any of you have read the Dragonlance novels by these two authors, you'll find a familiar forgetful old man, along with a pet slash butler dragon, in this book.

Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Printed by Bantam Books cover art by Keith Parkenson I like some of the other work done by these two authors, but this book, while alright, was not rated high among their others. Though it is still an entertaining story. It is the first book in the Deathgate Cycle series.

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb printed by Bantam Books cover art by Steven Youll In this, the third and final chapter of The Farseer Trilogy, Prince Regal has proclaimed himself King and abandons the coast and people to the Red-Ship Raiders. Fitz finds himself on a quest to find Prince Verity to return him to the throne and regain order in the kingdom, at the cost of losing everything and everyone he loves. A very good ending to the Farseer books.

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb printed by Bantam Books cover art by Michael Whelan Fitz has now become an accomplished assassin, but faces many dangers from the Red Ship Raiders who have been raiding the coast of his home for years. But there is also danger from within as his uncle Prince Regal plots to become king. To make matters worse, Prince Verity, the next in line to the throne has gone off on a quest to search for the "Elderlings" to help in the war against the Red-Ship Raiders. Fitz's loyalty to his king and grandfather are greatly tested in this second installment of The Farseer Trilogy.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb printed by Bantam Books cover art by Michael Whelan After reading Ship of Magic, I just had to go out and find the rest of Robin Hobb's books. Assassin's Apprentice is an excellant book as well, though I still like SoM better. It takes place in the same world as Ship of Magic, and about a boy named Fitz, an illegitimate son of Prince Chivalry who is taken in by the family, so to speak. His grandfather, King Shrewd, has the boy trained in the art of assassination. This is the first in The Farseer Trilogy.

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb printed by Bantam Books cover art by Stephan Youll All I can say is "Wow!". I haven't read a really good story for a while, and right from the first page I was completely engrossed in this book! It's based mostly around a ship named Vivacia, but this is no ordinary ship. She's made out of Wizardwood and has recently been quickened into a life of her own. Althea, the expected heir to the ship has it suddenly stolen from her by her conniving, narrow minded brother-in-law(you really get to hate this guy). She's now on the path to reclaiming her ship in the first of a new series of books by Robin Hobb.

"Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them.

A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life."

--John Milton
Areopagitica (1644)

Page last updated on September 3rd 2000

This page started the end of 1998