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Amazon.com Review

This is the second of two companion anthologies that chronicle the history of the SF adventure story. With this book, editor Gardner Dozois is attempting to disprove the old adage that "they don't write 'em like that anymore." Which, of course, they do, as writers like Peter F. Hamilton, Michael Swanwick, George Turner, and John Varley amply demonstrate in these pages. The selections here date from 1977 to 1998, although Dozois has limited himself by omitting subgenres such as cyberpunk, military SF, and even hard SF. While this makes the The Good New Stuff somewhat dubious as a historical overview of the adventure SF field, it allows Dozois to uncover some real gems that might otherwise have gone overlooked, including a couple of stories first published in the Brit-lit SF magazine Interzone. It's safe to say that in the hands of authors like Robert Reed, Walter Jon Williams, and Stephen Baxter, the grand tradition of SF is alive and well. --Craig E. Engler

From Kirkus Reviews

Companion volume to The Good Old Stuff (p. 1339), that being a selection of golden oldie adventure stories/space operas from the 1940s through the 1960s. Here, Dozois rounds up yarns in a similar mold from the 1970s on up. Some are already famous or familiar: Bruce Sterling's splendid Shaper/Mechanist yarn, Swarm''; Walter Jon Williams's wrenching perversion of religion,Prayers on the Wind''; and George R.R. Martin's science fiction Inquisition, The Way of Cross and Dragon.'' Maureen F. McH ugh'sThe Missionary's Child'' is set on same world as her recent novel, Mission Child (p. 1421). Most of the other yarns are top-notch too; it's not quality that's at issue here. One problem is a change of style in SF: virtually none of these tales wou ld qualify as space opera or even adventure. Mostly they're too complex to be easily categorized. Another quibble involves the volume's breakdown by decade. Of the seventeen yarns here, two derive from the 1970s, four from the 1980s, with a disproportiona te eleven from the 1990s, these latter no more ``adventurous'' than the others. Splendid yarns, but still, while Dozois's desire to wrap things up in a neat package is understandable, his rather specious justifications grate nonetheless. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–This book expands on the dragon lore created in The Fire Within (Scholastic, 2005). College student David Rain's new professor, Dr. Bergstrom, a polar research scientist, introduces him to legends from the Arctic and invites him to write an essay about dragons to qualify for a research trip. A succession of paranormal events leads to David's flamboyant classmate Zanna inadvertently quickening a dragon egg belonging to his landlady, Liz. A powerful woman who calls herself Gwyneth, and who claims to be Liz's aunt, arrives to help with the arrival of the new dragon. David discovers that Gwyneth is a figure from dragon legends, and that her motivations may lead to harm for him and for his friends. His attempts to oppose her result in an action-packed conclusion, expanding further on the legends and leaving room for the final volume in the series. In contrast to the domestic story of The Fire Within, Icefire offers a darker and more mature story. Liz's clay dragons develop a greater degree of realism within the story, and their background is further explored. Readers will find action and mysteries aplenty in this fantastic tale, as well as a group of appealing dragons who are tricky, heroic, and often charming.–Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for Icefire "Chris D'Lacey's writing is sometimes exciting and sometimes silly. But that seems in keeping with the worlds he created- one that seems almost real and one that is beyond imagination." -The Washington Post

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—College student David Rain; his Goth girlfriend, Zanna; and his dragon-creating landlord, Liz, and her daughter, Lucy, fulfill their destinies in this exciting conclusion to The Fire Within (2005) and Icefire (2006, both Scholastic). David is writing a book about polar bears, dragons, a mysterious fire star, and a transdimensional race from another universe. He's shocked to realize that his fictional tale is actually coming true. He discovers that a powerful dragon is lying dormant and petrified in a mountain. The Fain, an ancient race that revered dragons, intended to colonize Earth eons ago but something disrupted space and closed the line between the worlds, leaving some survivors behind. They have possessed Gwilanna, Liz's powerful and malevolent relative who is determined to call down dragons when the fire star aligns with Earth and the portal to Fain's world opens. If Gawain, the dormant dragon, awakens and dragons arrive and are allowed to breathe fire, they will cause widespread panic and catastrophic environmental damage. The multiple story lines and frequent but cryptic references to events from previous books make this novel a bit confusing for those unfamiliar with the earlier titles. Despite this, the story, with its involving and thought-provoking plot full of clever little dragons, mystical polar bears, and spiritual and ecological aspects, will appeal to many fantasy lovers.—Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for Fire Star "…The story, with its involving and thought-provoking plot full of clever little dragons, mystical polar bears, and spiritual and ecological aspects, will appeal to many fantasy lovers." -School Library Journal

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Brother Gabriel, Daniel's mentor and an ancient Urbat, plays an important role in The Lost Saint as well as the upcoming conclusion to the Dark Divine trilogy, The Savage Grace. We were first introduced to Gabriel in The Dark Divine when Grace recieves a book of ancient letters that Gabriel (a young monk at the time) wrote to his sister during the Crusades, detailing his search to know more about the Urbat. The book of letters ends just before Gabriel falls to the Urbat curse, leaving us to wonder what happened to him in the following years to turn him into the man he is today.

Most of Gabriel's letters were written during the thirteenth century, and later translated and compiled by an Orthodox priest in the eighteenth century. For whatever reason, some of Gabriel's letters were lost after translation and did not make it into that original book. But good news! A few of these "lost letters," detailing Gabriel's fall to the Urbat curse and his quest...<

The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. With their terrifying natures tempered by a mysterious liquid, they are ridden by the aristocracy and bred for hunting and war. But as dangerous political maneuverings threaten the empire, a single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon-returned to its full intelligence and fury-could spell disaster for the Realms...<

In his "utterly fascinating" (Book Smuggler) debut, The Adamantine Palace, Stephen Deas "restored [dragons] to all their scaly fire- breathing glory" (Daily Telegraph). Now, as the Realms teeter on the brink of war, the fate of humanity rests in the survival of one majestic white dragon. Prince Jehal has had his way-now his lover Zafir sits atop the Realms with hundreds of dragons and their riders at her beck and call. But Jehal's plots are far from over, for he isn't content to sit back and watch Zafir command the earth and sky. He wants that glory for himself- no matter who he must sacrifice to get it. The one thing Jehal fears is that the white dragon still lives-and if that is so, then blood will flow, on all sides...

As the various factions fight for control of the Adamatine Palace mankinds nemesis approaches. The realms dragons are awakening from their alchemical sedation and returning to their native fury. They can remember why they were created and they now know what mankind has done to them. And their revenge will be brutal.As hundreds of dragons threaten a fiery apocalypse only the Adamantine Guard stand between humanity and extinction. Can Prince Jehal fight off the people who want him dead and unite their armies in one final battle for survival?Noted for its blistering pace, awesome dragons and devious polticking Stephen Deas's landmark fantasy trilogy moves to a terrifying epic conclusion in The Order of the Scales<

When teenaged Rachel Durham finds a way that she and her eleven stepsisters can sneak out of their Chesapeake Bayside home after midnight, their troubled fundamentalist father enlists the help of Paul Fester, an ex-soldier and traveling juggler, to find out what the girls are up to. A modern retelling of Grimm's fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."<

When Bear, a mysterious young man, lands on Blanche and Rose Brier's doorstep in New York City, the two sisters have conflicting opinions on whether or not he is dangerous. Even as Blanche learns to trust him, her fears that Bear's friendship threatens their family prove terrifyingly true. A modern retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale.<

Product Description

How do YOU plan on surviving the coming Zombie Apocalypse! If you are a wuss, don't buy this book. Just the act of opening it will cause your puny mind to loose all control of your bowel movements. You will also become so impotent, not even Viagra will be able to help. If you're weak in the mind and want to read this book I have two suggestions. One, kill yourself. When you get to the pearly gates tell St. Peter to suck it. On your way to hell, be happy knowing that after about fifteen minutes down there, you will be able to read this book. Plus you will really start liking Death Metal for some reason. Two, go to prison. Get raped everyday by the Nation until your heart swells with agony and hatred. Construct a shiv made out of your fingernails and potato salad. And the next time they come for you stab them all in the nuts. You will spend the rest of your life in prison but at least you can read the book. If, however, you ARE strong enough to handle this book - if you're the kind of guy whose genitals are so tough that you have to put sand in your condoms to feel any sensation, the kind of man that won't ask a girl out unless her boyfriend is within a two foot radius, the kind of man that goes bear hunting with nunchucks - then YOU, you are ready! This book will not only teach you how to survive the zombie outbreak, but how to do it with STYLE. You will have a horde of zombie slaves! You will live in a palace! You will live like a king! YOU WILL BE WORSHIPED LIKE A GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About the Author

Some say Etienne is the baddest mothertrucker on the planet, while most others say he is kind of puny and has poorly concealed homosexual tendencies. Etienne was raised in a military compound deep in the Rhodesian jungle by a single father. His dad commanded a squadron of mercenaries, specialized in suppressing the frequent zombie outbreaks in remote jungle villages. When he was 14, the boy was awakened one night by the frantic retreat of soldiers fleeing a fight gone horrifically awry. Only after hours of agonizing pleas for an answer to where his Papa was did the soldiers of fortune tell him. His father was claimed by the undead. Drunk with blood lust Etienne slipped away from the compound and went to the village where his father was slain. Rampant with zombies and flame, E.T., as he was lovingly called by the soldiers, arrived coldly into the village. He belted screams of African curses from the depths of his intestines and tirelessly laid waste to the ghost like creatures with the power of agony, gunpowder and steel. All but one of the undead where left when the child ran out of ammo and angst. As the last of the flesh eaters approached, he recognized the monster to be his, his father. With tears of agony cascading from his eyes he exclaimed, "Daddy, why did you abandon me!" and proceeded to collapse what was once his fathers skull into a paste with the butt of his shotgun. The boy that arrived in the village that evening to avenge his father's death died piece by piece with each creature he relentlessly executed. When the soldiers returned to avenge their comrades they found only bludgeoned corpses and the silent shell that was once a beloved child. All of his innocence lost, what emerged from the jungle after that night was not the same creature that entered. All that remained was a beast so full of hate that it consumed raw meat, and cooked it with the burning anger inside.

It's not exactly easy living in a shrine to your dead sister. Since birth, I've known that everyone loved Shannon. She was perfect—beautiful, smart, talented. And me? Not so much. My parents always expected me to live up to her greatness. But I could never measure up to her, so why even try?

This summer, I've started reading the journal Shannon kept just before she died . . . and suddenly nothing is what I thought it was. The more secrets I learn about Shannon and our family, the more everything changes. And as it turns out, facing the truth is no cakewalk, either.

Praise:

"Deriso illuminates a complex family that, despite the faults of every member, emerges as strong and loving. An absorbing story teens will connect with."—KIRKUS REVIEWS<

Berren has lived in the city all his life. He has made his way as a thief, paying a little of what he earns to the Fagin like master of their band. But there is a twist to this tale of a thief. One day Berren goes to watch an execution of three thieves. He watches as the thief-taker takes his reward and decides to try and steal the prize. He fails. The young thief is taken. But the thief-taker spots something in Berren. And the boy reminds him of someone as well. Berren becomes his apprentice.And is introduced to a world of shadows, deceit and corruption behind the streets he thought he knew.Full of richly observed life in a teeming fantasy city, a hectic progression of fights, flights and fancies and charting the fall of a boy into the dark world of political plotting and murder this marks the beginning of a new fantasy series for all lovers of fantasy - from fans of Kristin Cashore to Brent Weeks.<