I was looking around for a good book when I found this book. I gave it a read and I liked it a lot! It tells how Tanis and Flint met and the relationship growing between Laurana and Tanis. It explains why Tanis despises the Qualinesti and it tells how good Flint was at metalsmithing before he retired.
It is a good mix of fantasy and mystery. I'm proud to say it figured out who the real murderer was before they tell you by figuring out motives and taking in clues. But it isn't easy! (in other words it is a good read for mystery fans)
I've read 3 of the other meetings books and am working on the other 2, But this by far is the best one of the 6. If your getting any of the meetings Sextet series don't you dare forget to get this one. This is really good. I can't believe a paleontologist and a teacher of agricultural journalism wrote this. (most other books seem to be written by people who spend a lot of their time writing...)

This story is a perfect example of how a book series can be written by more than just one author. Since Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman started the Dragonlance novels over a decade ago, fans have been enthralled by the stories of the people of Krynn. The people were thirsting for more and now they have got it! Stories from all the heroes and villians were brought into a new life. This book is just a perfect example of this. In the Legends Trilogy parts of Tanis and Flint's past was discussed, but the true story was never told. Mark Anthony and Ellen Porath have told a story that would be Flint's liking. They put the peices of Tanis's relationship with his family and his love for Laurana. Also Flint and how he came to know Tanis and the the Speaker of the Suns. Finally they gave the elves a culture and class that had not been reveiled. But with that culture it showed the dark side that the elves have. I would reccomend this book to any Dragonlance reader

I found this book very entertaining. Probably one of the more better books in the dragonlance sage, other than the ones written by W&H. It was a good read, complete with humor, intrigue, and action. The book went into the life of Flint Fireforge before meeting the half-elf, Tanis. Upon meeting, the two grew to be quick friends. But when Tanis is accused of murder, Flint has to help him get clear. I felt that the book was good. While it didnt have the most action in he world, it was still a nice read. The only thing i didnt like in this book was the relationship between Tanis and Laurana. But that is another story. Anyway, i recommend it. Buy it, Read it, Love it.

This is the best book I've read in a long time! The characters are very real, the dialogue is terrific and the plot is interesting and complex, yet it moves quickly. The theological stuff is not black and white -- it is murky and I could relate to it because of that. It asks questions that I think most people ask, even if they don't ask them out loud. Good and Evil is not black and white. Even the protagonist can't figure out whether he is a good guy or a bad guy. The reader is left with that question as well. All in all, I felt that reading this book was time well spent.

I picked up "Dark Debts" mainly because of the cover art, the priest silhouetted against the hellfire. Once I got home and started reading, I could not stand to put it down. The characters were so well developed and strong that I cared what happened to them. I've recommended this book to three other people, all of whom loved it. It's the sort of intelligent horror novel that we don't get enough of on the shelves. It more than frightened me; it made me think about issues like faith and organized religion. I can't wait until Karen Hall comes out with her next book. I'm hoping that it's another horror novel.

"Instantly casts a spell...Chilling" says NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW. DARK DEBTS by Karen Hall is like no other book I have traveled through before. From page one I was entranced by the characters and the story. Reality mixed in with fear and lust becomes the perfect concoction to make this book nothing but entertaining to the reader. The novel tells the story of a family tormented by something out of their control, something almost satanic. "It" seems to destroy each member of the Landry family, with only one hope to save them. The one and only hope is a priest, sent to Georgia to help fight the forces of evil with Jack, the only remaining family member. Three divisions add to an exhilarating way of telling this spell bounding story. I was first captured by this book in the prologue and remained in suspense until the very end. I often found myself feeling an eerie presense in the room as I read into the minds of the characters and traveled with them in their journey. Of all the books that I have read I have always seemed to be a fan of books that send chills down my spine, but never have I ever experienced anything quite like this. This novel will grab you and take you into a whole other dimension, one that comes way too close to reality. I felt like my faith took a walk down a path that it has never been before. Overall I would have to rate this book a ten on a scale of one to ten. It is a book that seems to make you think about your faith, your desires, your weaknesses, and most of all yourself. It is like no other book I have ever read and is one that I can honestly say seemed to alter my life more than I feel comfortable talking about. DARK DEBTS, by Karen Hall. Go get it.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman orator, advocate, politician, philosopher, and an introvert who led the most public of lives. Cicero lived through the stormy era of the Republic and testified the rise, the dictatorship and the assassination of Julius Caesar in addition to seditious movements of those who inherited his political legacy.

Drawn from Cicero's letters of correspondence with his friend Atticus and various modern sources, Everitt deftly recreates a vivid chronicle of Cicero's life and restores him to the pantheon of our common past.

To help readers understand the political infrastructure of the Roman Republic, Everitt begins with a chapter that explores the fault lines of the Republic that gave rise to all the seditious movements and military melee and thus inevitably led to the decadence. Cicero and his contemporaries helplessly inherited a self-constraining, self-defeating political system that inculcated the virtues of fortitude, justice, and prudence. Such inwardly unsound gesture was implemented to thwart any overmighty citizen seizing power.

The very same precautionary measure ironically pushed the Republic to the verge of hostilities and wars. The yearlong co-consulship, the lack of a prosecuting service and the continuous class struggle between the Patricians and People manifested venality, bribery, and collusion among officials.

In his portrait of the tenuous political situation, Everitt delineates Cicero as a man who was born and lived at the wrong time, or rather, the cruel times had dragged him along. Not a single day passed did Cicero not to worry about his opponents and those whom he had testified against with his instigation. Cicero thwarted and put down collusion and conspiracies, acted in defense and won acquittal of Roscius convicted of parricide, challenged the dictatorship of Sulla and the decadence of his regime. During his consulship, Cicero pursued the sedition of Catilina and thwarted his attacks on the Senate. Cicero vehemently opposed Julius Caesar and his despotic attempt to form a new Roman government. Even though Caesar took a liking of Cicero and looked up to him, Cicero asserted his preference for Pompey in the First Triumvirate and supported Pompey during Caesar's reign to restore Rome back to republicanism. In the remaining days of Caesar's dictatorship, Cicero remained a thorn to Caesar until his assassination.

Everitt's account also leaves readers in awe of Cicero's merits. Cicero had administrative gifts and oratorical skills of a very high order that none of his contemporaries could deploy. In a society where politicians were also expected to be good soldiers, Cicero was preeminently a civilian, a philosopher, a writer (Cicero admitted his physical weakness and nervousness) and this makes his success all the more remarkable. Cicero ceaselessly advertised and spread anti-war sentiment. He devoted his whole life, through his influence as a statesman; to negotiate a republic made of a mixed constitution. Cicero, when his career ended, must be in searing pain as he no longer entertained hopes that the Republic will be restored. Everitt deftly pointed that for the long years Cicero was a bystander in the working of Rome was not due to his lack of talent but a "surplus of principle." The republic collapsed around his neck as he tried to find more able men to run the government and enacted more efficient laws to keep these men in order.

Behind the political success laid Cicero's internal struggles. From Everitt's account, it seems the only people whom Cicero engaged in an emotional bonding were his daughter Tullia and his best friend Atticus. His divorce of Terentia (on the basis of her thoughtlessness and financial mismanagement) and his failed marriage with Publilia brought him nothing but loneliness. When Tullia died from a miscarriage, Cicero was completely devastated and read every book that the Greek philosophers had to say about grief. Atticus recounted his friend's grief as something of a new intensity too raw and too astonishing to be publicized. His rabid disagreement with Quintus, who heaped all the blame of his ill behavior on Cicero and switched to Caesar, pricked his heart. All the unfulfilled dreams led to Cicero's drastic change in personality that he was willing compromise his beliefs to stay in power and to exercise unscrupulous methods to restore the republic.

Everitt's book astutely captures the success, struggles, uproars and the spirits of truly the greatest politician of Rome. The book is up to the par of Boissier's Cicero and His Friends and Cowell's Cicero and the Roman Republic. Recommended. 4.5 stars.

This is an excellent biography of Marcus Tullius Cicero, orator, politician, statesman, and staunch guardian of the Roman Republic in the time of Julius Caesar. The author has used Cicero's own letters, plus the many ancient sources still remaining, to tell a gripping tale of his subject's life, and the interesting and perilous times in which he lived. We get great dollops of Roman history, and mini biographies of many other important personages. Through the work, we come to admire Cicero for his uprightness, even if we criticise him for his indecision at times, and his loose talk which caused him much trouble throughout his life. This is a fascinating period of Roman history, and it's expounded well by the author. I understand that he is now working on a biography of Augustus, and I look forward to its publication.

We tend to view the ancient Greeks and Romans as marble statues, cold, noble, and remote. Anthony Everitt's biography of Marcus Tullius Cicero brings the world of the late Roman Republic to life in all its excess, wealth, violence, and glory. The central figure is Cicero himself, who strove to maintain the traditional Roman governmental structure in the face of heavy opposition from both the populares or reformers and the optimates or conservatives. Everitt uses modern terminology to help us understand the issues and personalities and complexities of Cicero's life and times. I recommend this book to Roman scholars and to general readers who, for example, enjoyed the "I, Claudius" miniseries on Masterpiece Theater in the 1970s or Steven Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" mysteries (which feature Cicero as a major character).

This book was really good. I loved it. The reason I say that it was the worst in the series is because every other book adds something to the character. This one just... well.... didn't. Every other book displays the powers of that specific Incarnation, and how they interact with other incarnations. In this book, Orb became Gaea towards the end of the book, and you didn't really learn what she can do. You know that she is the most powerful Incarnation besides God or Satan, but you don't see any of her powers in this book. It was still a good story, but not as good as any other. My advice- skip this and read "For Love of Evil," which is the best book in this series by far, and my all time favorite book.

The availability of the Incarnations series for me left a lot to be desired. You see, I read "On A Pale Horse" (Death), followed by excerpts from "Wielding A Red Sword" (War), the only two I had a chance of reading. So, when "For Love Of Evil" (Satan) came available, I jumped at it, even though it was out of order. Thus, when I finally got the chance to read the other 3 (including "Being A Green Mother" [Nature]), I knew how they ended. But I still enjoyed them greatly. As the series continued, I found that Anthony referred back to earlier episodes more and more. This is fine if you read from #1 to #6 in order, but if not, it can make things a little confusing. Luckily, Anthony's writing style made it easy for me to understand the basics of what was happening, preserving the flow of the book at hand, without giving away too much when I went back and found the other books. Enjoy!

Alright! Another family member. Orb. The Green Mother. Nature herself. This novel is excellently written. So well that when the music was describe I could actually hear it. No the radio wasn't playing, I just knew what it was to sound like. Orb is an interesting mortal and a fabulous Incarnation. Her life has been as entertwined as the treads of fate, I wonder why? HA HA But in all seriousness I found this novel a perfect addition to the series. Now I HAVE to read the others.

As a longtime fan of Piers Anthony, I wasn't overly impressed with this book, or the remainder of the series (although I haven't read it all yet, and I do intend to finish it). I didn't feel drawn into the characters, and the story itself didn't enthrall me. However, this may be mainly because I am not the target audience for this series; judging by other reader reviews I have read, adolescent females feel a very strong bond to the lead character, and the book seems to touch thier emotions on a very personal level. I feel this is one of Anthony's strengths, the ability to write very specifically to his audience, and reach them completely, even if this lowers the appeal for others. If you are not an adolescent female, or have not been one, this may not be the book for you. However, it may provide some insight into what motivates and interests today's female youth.

Virtual Mode is one of those novels that really blow my head away. Colene is one of the most realistic characters that I have ever encountered in my life. Her pain and suffering are something that I can relate very well. For those that think that the things that happen to her doesn't happen in real life, well I have bad news for you, they do happen too often for my taste. Rape, depression, suicide, dyfuntional families, etc... are part of the reality of many people right now. Horrible to hear but truth, but what makes Virtual and its main character so humane and wonderful is her spirit to fight in adversity, even though she still is depressed and want to die.

Also the world of the Virtual Mode is amazing!! Piers really create a world full of multitude of realities.

I can't wait for DoOon Mode, the last novel, to know what will happen to Colene and Darius!! I really want them happy!!

I think this is the best series that Piers has written. And it is not a surprise considering that most of the inspiration of Colene come from real life suicidal teenage girls, asking him for help.

So if you haven't started reading this series, do so!! You will never regretted it.

I have read all of Piers Anthony's Xanth sieries and I liked them. So when my friend recomended my reading Anthony's Mode sieries, I was willing to give it a try. I'm glad I took her advice because I absolutely LOVED it.

The Main character, Colene, was very life like. She wasn't TO perfact. She had flaws. The hero, Darius, was somewhat boring. He didn't really have any flaws. Other than being to stupid to try to get Colene to go with him in the first place. He could have been slightly better. The secondary characters, Seqiro and Prothos, were very well written. I think that Anthony's portrayel of Prothos' memory of the future was very good. I think Anthony's portrayel of Seqiro was also very good. He made Seqiro have some human qualities, but kept some of his horse qualities.

I think this book was well written. It had only a few bad places and tose were fixed in his next mode books. I can't WAIT for Anthony's Next book in the Mode series, DoOon Mode. I expect it to be just as good as all his other books.

"Bearing an Hourglass" is the second volume of Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series, dealing with the Incarnation of Time. The series began successfully with "On a Pale Horse", but this instalment is a little more cautious in approach, and suffers somewhat from sequel syndrome.

Like several other characters from the Incarnations series, Norton is just an ordinary man who unexpectedly has the mantle of Chronos (Time) thrust upon him. He must learn to fulfil the duties of his office and deal with its peculiarities- such as living backwards in time!

The temporal quirks and paradoxes that Norton must explore create some added interest in the storyline. Overall, however, the plot lacks the verve and interest of the first book, wandering from the path in places and losing direction.

As a whole, the series is definitely worth reading, and "Bearing an Hourglass" is worth reading as a part of the series. As a stand-alone volume, however, it doesn't quite satisfy. Read it in context: the complex interlinking plots of the seven books that make up the Incarnations series are partially explained by this book, but it remains one of the weaker links in the series.

6 stars out of 10

I have read all 5 of the Incarnations of Immortality twice each. The series is an amazing one and Piers Anthony is an amazing author. But although all the books were good, this one is the least good. (I won't say worst because Piers Anthony can never be the "worst") His life before he became an Incarnation was interesting but once he became Time, the book went downhill. Sning, his magic snake ring was like a gimmik used throughout the book to get Norton out of every situation. It made it way too easy! And the all too familiar sci-fi and fantasy movie realities that Satan created for him took up chapters and left me bored. Adventures in other books in the series were much more original and imaginative! The only really good part was the chapters where he had to save the senator by turning back time for the world. After that, the book was a bit of a let-down. His final balking of Satan was a bit pathetic, compared to the others in the series. But it was still a good book and only when compared to the other Incarnations of Immortality was it bad. I would have given the book 3 1/2 stars but I can't do that so I'm rounding up for the amazing Piers Anthony: 4 STARS, while the other Incarnation books get 5, (or a perfect 10 if that was an option). Piers Anthony ROCKS!!!

This book is a talks of the Incarnation of Time, Chronos and his assumption of this office and his Battle with Satan. This book is by far more complex than any other book in this series because it deals with issues such as the Paradox, which this book is riddled with (Chronos is immune to the Paradox), the fact that once the office of Time is assumed the office holder must live in reverse for that is the nature of the office. Some of the conversation with charaters that he has not aligned with is tough. (?naem I tahw eeS)...His device of his office THE HOURGLASS is by far the most powerful the incarnations wield and his learning to use it is an essential key in this story.

Satan is a key figure in all of the incarnation books for as a new person assumes the various offices, he like to take advantage of their inexperiece to exploit them to his advantage.

Read this book slow and down't be afraid to re-read sections to get it all. It is an awsome book if you take it slow. The Other incarnation novels are not nearly as complex.

The Great Gatsby is one of the best novels I have ever read. The story centers on Jay Gatsby, a millionaire, whose past is a mystery, but with his tremendous wealth, he is able to attract everyone into his life circle. Nevertheless, his entire motive is to win back his old lover, Daisy. His loyalty for love eventually paved the road toward his tragic ending.

This book was excellent in my opinion. It contained love, lust, undying devotion, betrayal, and every other element that makes for a good love story. But it was more than that, meaning can be found in each and every character. Some characters such as Daisy represented the times (the 20's), as she was dependent upon her husband and was nothing more than the vision her husband held in his eyes. While a character such as Gatsby represented the struggle that we shall face until the end of time. The struggle I speak of is one of the heart. If you are at all romantic, I suggest this book to you, and if you are not I suggest it to you because of its intrigue and content.

I really enjoyed this book. I admit, I was surprised. I went into reading this book as a big task, something to be avoided at all costs. But when I really got down to reading it, I realized how interesting the book actually was. The first chapter or so was a bit slow, but after that the storyline just kept gaining momentum. I strongly believe that F. Scott Fitzgerald was the premier writer of the "Jazz Age." "The Great Gatsby" is often referred to as the quintessential novel of the "Jazz Age" and I believe that this is very true! Although he was a great writer, I think he was a little politically incorrect. He also used a lot of plays on words, which made reading the novel a little more confusing. The notes in the back of the book did help a little but it was more confusing then it needed to be. I did like how Fitzgerald used the first person. It lets us get really close inside the narrator's head and that's nice to be able to do. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read other books by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Thank you for listening and V.A. rules.

Fiato has many interesting stories, but most relate to his dealings with low-level "wanna-bes". His encounters with "made guys" are mentioned, but little detail is given. This leads me to believe he had very few meaningful encounters/business dealings with these guys. His claim that he was being groomed to become a "boss" in LA is absurd considering he was never even formally inducted into LCN. The worst part of the book is when Fiato claims his brother was responsible for him turning "rat" - its as if he feels that by using his brother as a scapegoat, he can reclaim any respect he once had. It is clear to the reader, however, that Fiato cooperated to save his own skin, period. The book is a fun read, but I came away thinking there was a little fiction tossed in to make Fiato appear more important than he was.

Anthony was on the radio, and he is facinating. his story was unbelievable, in the sense that he accomplished so much, in a town that is so easy to get caught. He is no dummy like most Mafia guys What guts he has to wear a wire on over sixty
Mafia members sworn to kill like himself

This is the most authentic, and exciting view of organized crime I have ever read. Not only is it full of the true life day to day events of one of the most feared Mob emforcers, but it also shows the true unseen sides of the glamour of Los Angeles. Anthony Fiato took control of the West Coast Mob with sheer viciousness, and chilling brut force within the glitz of Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, and the surrounding areas. I never thought this could happen in beautiful California. This book is like no other Mob book I have seen or read. If you want the real deal on the life in the Mob, and if you read one book this year, make it this one. you will not be sorry. The Animal in Hollywood is truely a compelling, and exciting book.

Ah.. The overpriced Cisco Press books. Actually, I think this one might be required to pass the CCDA exam. The test is easy enough, but reviewing and following the case studies at the end of the chapters will help prepare you for the test. In order to prepare for the CCDA I used the Sybex Exam Notes, and reviewed the case studies in this book. With four days of study that was more than enough to prepare for this test. I really have complains with this book, but for your knowledge the actual Cisco test questions are very poorly written. Be sure to read them twice before answering because several times it was difficult to figure out what they were trying to get at. Remember, review of the case studies in this book is probably the single most important thing you need to do in order to prepare for your CCDA, I never even looked at the rest of the book, and since I passed the test on my first try, I never will.

Let me explain how the book can help you to pass DCN 640-441 exam and what else you need to study out. The guide contains enough info about the STEPS that you should take to design someone's network, many case studies that I strongly advise to learn carefully. Appendixes are about 1/2 of the entire guide. They include Internetworking Overview, SMB Solutions and a Glossary. But in order to pass the exam (I have passed it on my first try in spite of the fact that English my second language) you need to have a broad knowledge of internetworks as a whole because there are different questions about any protocol that could be in a SMB network. The most difficult part of the test - case studies. It is really a Nightmare for someone who doesn't enough know English. I have been tested with 4 case studies and this is truly strain when I had to answer a question for one case study and then must read another one. Finally, I used some materials besides this guide - CBT from SmartForce and Boson Software Tests. But any guide or trial tests are easier than the exam. It isn't the similar test to the CCNA one. The CCNA is much more easier. Most likely I have passed it due to the fact that I already have CCNA and CCAI (Academy Instructor) certificates. The teaching practice is very helpful. It is recommended to develop attentiveness, decision logic and you will be able to pass it.

This is all you need to get your CCDA! I just passed the DCN exam quite easily with flying color by refering to this book only.

The book has lots of case studies questions on all chapters, besides good and brief explanations on the Cisco internetworking technology material. It even dedicates the last chapter for several extra case studies. All I can say is that they are more than enough to prepare you answering case study questions on the exam day.

The CD has an electronic version of the book and more than 200 practice exams questions. Take and pass the practice exam several times and you are on your way to the CCDA!

WARNING:

- When you sit for the exam, make sure you read the case study questions VERY CAREFULLY and understand them before answering.

- Keep in mind that DCN exam IS NOT for a novice. You'd better have a good understanding of basic internetworking stuff, know Cisco products quite well, and have real-world experiences. This is not an ordinary 'paper exam', but it challenges your capability to implement internetworking on real-world scenarios. For the first two, make sure you read all the chapters and the Appendixes. It is also a good idea to visit the Cisco web site and read all related materials. For the experience thing, nothing is better than 'tasting the honey by yourself'.

(CCNA, CCDA, Network+, MCSE+I, MCDBA)