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First, let it be known that Jink is the most charismatic new ElfQuest character in many years. She is a study in opposites - godlike foresight and amusing improvidence; hard street wisdom and a soft heart; sophistication and innocence - that make her seem at once both most adult and most childlike. The contrasts between she and Kullyn Kenn - hapless and too laid-back by half, yet uncommonly brave and clearheaded - is continually fascinating.
As vividly as the protagonists are presented, the real masterstroke is the portrayal of the "enemies", the Neverending aliens. Wendy Pini, who conceived and co-wrote the story, hints in the Afterword that the culture of the aliens is heavily based on that of the Japanese Empire of the 1930s, a regime then openly committed to world domination. Ingeniously, she presents the aliens as a symbol of the perils of nationalism, and especially of the futility of conquest as a way of life; the plot turns on Jink's revelation to the Neverending warriors that their campaign of space-conquest has not empowered their people, but has instead virtually destroyed it. This leads to a climax as sobering as the early chapters are lighthearted.
Married to this ingenious story is high-quality artwork; though the original color illustrations are presented here in black-and-white, the clarity and precision of the line-art come through. In all, _Jink_, a tale far more than skin deep, points to a fascinating new direction for the ElfQuest saga.
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This book brings out these facets of cypress forests as well as clearly and excellently discussing the flora and fauna found in them. The discussion on these marvelous trees, themselves, is worth the book price. Excellent photos abet this effort very well.
The major swamps are covered on a chapter-by-chapter basis. The reader gains an appreciation of the unique nuances of each. I found the chapters on the Great Dismal Swamp and the discussion of the mysterious Carolina Bays most enjoyable.
Being a Michigander, the cypress swamp is not an item with which I became familiar until I was an adult, and even then, I had a great lack of understanding of how this eco-system works and why it is important to preserve it. This book greatly filled those voids in my knowledge.
Additionally, the book is a good vacation guide for anyone planning a trip to the South. These swamps, or at least one of them, are worth seeing. You will have a far better time, and understanding, of what you are seeing, if you read this book first. I recommend it very highly. It is one of the better regional ecology books in my library, and a real keeper. Certainly, anyone who teaches geography or biological sciences should own it.
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