I loved this book so much. Normally I do not like sci-fi but my mom picked out this book. I had to read a sci-fi book for a science book report and I didn't know what kind of book to get. At the beginning of the book it is very confusing and even boring but once you get into this book it is so good. The ending is terrific and if I had the time I would read it 24 hours a day. I would recamend this book highly. I hope my review helped you!

I came across this rather bizarre little author in a chat room, and felt the need to read one of her books at random - this one. I fear i was needlessly insulting to her during an argument I had with her, because now that I've read this mindless, awful drivel, I wonder if perhaps she wasn't being a little ironic about the general quality of sci - fi writing.

So a review of the book - If you are the sort of person who likes this sort of thing, you are the sort of person who likes this sort of thing.

And of the author - If you are the sort of person who writes this sort of thing, you are the sort of person who writes this thing.

Irredeemable, really, but five stars for trying.

In this book Andre Norton has begun tying together most of her important Witch World families. I really enjoyed watching the songsmith work her way from one part of the world to the other. She picks up a horse-racing ringer and barely excapes with him from a mob who felt that they were cheated. (Imagine that!) There is a wise woman gone to the bad who wanted to drain the racer's power, Garth Howell is on the prowl, and assorted other badies. All comes right in the end though, (I like good endings) the songsmith triumphs over all of these obstacles, finds the cure for her father, rescues her mother and little brother, finds her talent, and gets a hubby. Ms. Norton is my favorite and if she must team up with someone A.C. Crispin is the best of them all. This is a good book.

The Zero Stone is the first novel in the Murdoc Jern series. Murdoc is the son of Hywel Jern, a former prime assessor to a sector boss of the Thieves' Guild who bought out when his patron was assassinated. Hywel migrated to Angkor and married the daughter of a local hock-lock operator. Shortly after the marriage, his in-laws. and many others in the vicinity of the port, died from disease brought by a plague ship, but Hywel and his wife survived and even performed some of the necessary governmental functions during the emergency. Some five years later, Angkor became a hub for interstellar trade in that sector and the Jern business thrived through Hywel's many off-world contacts, both legal and illegal, but he maintained a low profile, operating from the same modest hock-lock.

One day, the first officer of a spaceliner brought in a ring with a dull stone that was found in interstellar space, far from any star, on the finger of a spacesuited corpse. The crude stone is plain and cloudy, but has a remarkable hardness. The stone gives an impression of great power to Hywel and Murdoc, but not to the rest of the family. Hywel is obsessed with the stone and arranges an apprenticeship for Murdoc with Vondar Ustle, a master gemologist who searches for new sources of precious stones, so that Murdoc can search for more information on the ring and stone. Hywel is well satisfied with his life as apprentice to Vondar and, when he returns for a visit, finds that he no longer fits into his family. One evening, Hywel stays home to conduct some business while the rest of the family goes to a party. Leaving the party earlier, Murdoc returns home to find his father tied to his chair, bloody and dead. Murdoc takes the ring and stone from its hiding place and leaves his home forever.

In this novel, Murdoc and Vondar have come to Koonga City on Tanth searching for gems. They are dining in a taproom when the Green Robes, native priests, enter, spin their selection wheel to point between Murdoc and Vondar, and try to take both men. Murdoc kills one priest, fights his way clear, and then finds sanctuary with the priests of Noskald. These priests arrange for a Free Trader, the Vestris, to take Murdoc off-world. The crew treats him in a distant, but civil manner, but his only companion is the ship's cat, Valcyr. When the ship sets down on a primitive planet, Valcyr accompanies Murdoc as he explores the area. When Murdoc finds some bits of a curiously dull black substance that forms an extremely hard but fuzzy oval, Valcyr takes the largest specimen and starts to lick it. Murdoc tries to take it away from her, but gets clawed for his efforts. When a crewman tries to get the specimen, Valcyr runs off with it and hides. Murdoc and the crewman find her again, but she then swallows it.

When they return to the ship, the Medico tests Valcyr and the specimens; he determines that the black ovals are alive at a low level as if hibernating and that Valcyr is now pregnant. Since there is a possibility that Valcyr is not carrying ordinary kittens, she is locked in a cage within the sick bay. About four weeks later, she disappears from the cage and is next seen in Murdoc's cabin with a newborn animal, Eet, that is not a kitten. And then Murdoc finds himself covered with purple blotches and feeling feverish. At this point, Murdoc and Eet leave the Vestris, Murdoc in a spacesuit and Eet in a clear-sided box, to escape the plague-fearing, frantic crew.

This novel has some of the signature characteristics of the author's space adventure tales, including the outcast Murdoc, the telepathic Eet, and alien artifacts. However, this story is one of the wanderlust kind, much like Star Man's Son and the Solar Queen series, where the hero/heroine goes on to discover new adventures.

The creature Eet is rather unique in the author's space adventures, having a human level of intelligence, yet possessing an animal body. Eet combines the friendly alien, symbiotic animal, and mutated talents aspects of these tales, all in one body, sort of a highly evolved version of the meerkats in The Beast Master.

While this story is not one of my favorites, it still provides the same high level of storycraft one expects of the author. The characters are interesting but not as enthralling as some of the other tales. The relationship between Murdoc and Eet is not clear, but one feels as if Eet is much superior to Murdoc, yet is handicapped by his inadequate body. Is Murdoc a pet to Eet?

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys space adventures involving a young hero and a mysterious alien.

And missed many of the subtleties.
Norton's vision of a universe awash in ancient, eerie alien rubble, and her vivid planetscapes, are incomparably haunting.

This is simply one of the best stories ever told in the Sci-Fi universe. If you've never read anything by Ms. Norton then you must read this one, and its sequel 'Uncharted Stars'

This book is short, and what is there deserves five stars. However, the story feels unfinished. Hynkkel, rejected to the role of servitude by his family and despairing over the murder of his pet cat, is forced into a manhood ritual by his father. He emerges from this test of survival with a new grace and self confidence and new friends, including a feline, but still finds himself on the outskirts of society. He is dismayed when he is seemingly forced into a new and surprising path. Just when the Essence smiles upon him and he appears to be a winner, the book ends with more questions than answers in the reader's mind. Once again Andre Norton's writing is superb. Hopefully, there will be a sequel, otherwise the book is as unsatisfying as decaf.

this story was about a young boy, who defying all odds and with a little magic came out as emperor, however the evil was not totally overcome. So Andre Norton, one of my favorite authors. I ask where is the sequel?

One of the first fantasies that I read and I have to say one of the best. I felt that the story could have continued but I think it was still a good book.

I thought this book was extremely good. The characters seemed alive, and the plot was very entertaining. I couldn't put it down! The authors did a good job of building upon the previous book, but I'd have liked to read more about the dragons. Hopefully they weren't left out of the book on purpose! I can't wait for the third book to come out, I hope it's soon! If you've read the first book, you have to read this one!

IF you read the first one you have to read this one. And if you didn't read the first one you have to read this one. The breakneck speed this story runs at made it impossible for me to put the book down. And there are absolutely no characters you could care less about in this book. The only thing I could find wrong was that I wondered if the authors had maybe too many characters, because I want to know what happens to Kelyan? He was there, and then after everything he does for the Elvenbane she just ups and forgets he's around? Please tell me that was an oversight! But this will be one that will keep you up until the dawn finishing it.

When I first picked this book up I was a little apprehensive, but after the first page I was engrossed. Andre Norton and Susan Shwartz do a fabulous job at showing both the light and dark sides of Silver Snow's journey from beloved daughter to forgotten concubine and finally queen of the barbarians. They paint a realistic picture of the subservient nature of women in Han China without over-emphasizing the fact. This book was a perfect blend of fantasy and history.

When I first checked this out from the public library, I was desperate for a good read. Andre Norton has always been one of my favorite sci fi/fantasy writers, so I checked to see which of her books were in. I saw "Imperial Lady" and thought it would be worth a try. I'm only 15 and very picky about what I read, so I was surprised to be totally engrossed in the life of Silver Snow. I was definately captured by the elaborate life styles and customs that differ greatly from my life half-way round the world in Gretna, Nebraska. I also enjoyed "Willow", whose changling ways offset Silver Snow so greatly it was almost humorous. "Imperial Lady" was of great historical value and was also a great read. I encourage anyone to check it out from a local library or buy it here on Amazon.com soon.

This contains every story from _Lore of the Witch World_ except "Legacy from Sorn Fen". All the others (except "Were-Wrath", so far) have appeared in previous collections, primarily _High Sorcery_ and _The Book of Andre Norton_; for my detailed commentary on those stories, see my reviews of those books.

"Falcon Blood", "Toads of Grimmerdale", "Changeling", "Spider Silk", "Sword of Unbelief", "Sand Sister" - see my review of _Lore of the Witch World_.

"Toys of Tamisan" - This Ty-Kry story and its sequel, "Ship of Mist", can be found in Norton's Ty-Kry collection _Perilous Dreams_ (see my review for details). Although it appeared without its sequel in _High Sorcery_, it shows to best advantage with the other stories set in the same world. Briefly, Tamisan is an action dreamer - one of the fabled women who live only to create dreamworlds where clients can experience the adventures they desire. But unlike other dreamers, Tamisan isn't absorbed in the toys of her own creation - she's aware of the real world, and her new owner, as more than just raw material.

"Wizards' Worlds" - Formerly titled "Wizard's World", this one previously appeared in the collection _High Sorcery_ (see my review). It isn't a Witch World story; so far it stands alone. Craike, an Esper whose cover was blown in a setup, is no longer fleeing even for his life - just for the chance to die rather than face torture and forced betrayal of his comrades. But when he dives into a dry gorge in the desert, he surfaces in a raging river in another world, his desperation coupled with ESP having opened a gate.

"Mousetrap" - From _The Book of Andre Norton_. If you like Norton's Solar Queen stories, this one's setting has a similar flavor. Every bright boy with a new variety of glue wants to try it out on the mysterious sand statues of Mars - as with building a better mousetrap, it'll make a fortune if a statue can be handled and moved safely.

"Were-Wrath" - This doesn't seem to be a Witch World story, and bears no relation to the Were Riders. Lady Thra, a refugee from the south, has just seen the last of her men hanged by the lord of the valley below the forest. Compared to the horrors she's seen, a hut with carvings depicting the life of a young were-creature seems a small enough risk to run.

"By a Hair" - A stand-alone story from _High Sorcery_, set in a tiny European valley occupied in one war by the Nazis, only to descend into an even more terrible bondage under the Soviets. The surviving fighting men still remember the ways of guerilla warfare, but there's no defense against the treachery of an ambitious woman - or is there?

"All Cats Are Gray" - From _The Book of Andre Norton_, an SF story with a Solar Queenesque flavor.

"Swamp Dweller" - This was written for the 1st _Magic in Ithkar_ anthology, so if you want a proper grounding in the Ithkar universe, you should pick up a copy. It stands fine on its own, but it's more pleasant to see it in an all-Ithkar setting. (I'll refer you to that book rather than trying to describe Ithkar here, though.)

This is one of the best purchases I have ever made! I am very fond of this series and enjoy all her short stories and novels as well. Even when she is co-author you can still see her shining through. If you are a fan of this master, then this book is a must!

EVERYTHING you wanted to know about The Honeymooners' "Classic 39" episodes! Plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, last-minute script changes, on-air ad-libs (such as Gleason's surprise crash ending to the "Core A Apple" episode, and Norton's "Rx" exclamation), interviews with cast members, crew members, etc. If you love The Honeymooners or not, this book is an absolute must-have! There has been no better book written documenting a television sitcom! Zip-Zip, this review is done! ;) - Paula Martin -

The turning books are all interesting. Each giving a different insight into the WW series. Bringing new thoughts and ideas...a very satisfying read...as all the books in this trilogy were. They are all good additions to your library.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most clever and entertaining books yet written. The author's use of language is extremely appealing to the younger readers. These young readers are attracted to this book because of the author's use of many songs. For instance the lullaby sung by the duchess to her child. The Mock Turtle also sang to Alice and the Gryphon a song about the Lobster Quadrille. The author also uses poems that are entertaining and fun to listen to. "You are Old Father William" is one of the many poems. Not only does the author use poems but she also uses commonly known poems and changes the words to fit the character saying them. For instance the Mad-Hatter sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in different words saying "Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky." If this isn't a unique way of writing I dont know what is. Another style of her writingthat is appealing is when she creates a picture, using words in a poem, about the poem. Yhis is used on page 37. The words in the book are nbot hard so the book can be enjoyable when it is being read, not stressful. The author brings animals to life which is an interesting style of writing. This is Lewis Carroll's style of writing. The main character in this book is a little girl with blonde hair named Alice. This child is full of fantasies and dreams, which is what the book is about. Alice is very curious and likes to know every little detail. She thinks she is very smart. For example, when Alice is listening to the Dormouse's story she asks questions like "What did they live on," and makes smart comments such as "They could'nt have done that you know, they'd have been ill." She is also a little bit bratty, especially to the Dormouse when she says: "Nobody asked your opinion." These characteristics pull together to make an interesting main character and to create a fabulous story. The theme of the story is sometimes you need to take a break out of every day life and dream of fantasize. This makes your life more interesting even if you dream about things that will never come true. Alice does this when she dreams about changing sizes and listening to talking animals. Dreaming doesn't hurt anyone except the people who don't do it. If nobody ever had dreams life would be extremely stressful and boring. The plot of the story is all about Alice trying to find the white rabbit, which of course is in her dream. Following the white rabbit takes ALice to interesting places, such as the Courtroom filled with animals, and the Duchess' house, along with meeting interestingpeople such as the Cheshire-Cat and the Queen. This amazing cat hes the ability to disappear whenever it wants to and it always smiles. In the end Alice finds the white rabbit and then wakes up from her dream. This is the plot of the story. The story is effective to the reader. This is so because after listening to such acreative dream and fantasy, it inspires people to take a little time out of the day and be creative and dream once in a while. All the parts of this five star story; the writer's style, the main character, the theme, and the plot; come together to create the overall effectiveness of the story. This is why I rated this book five stars.

I really like Alice in Wonderland and its sequel because it is so whimsical. The way Dodgson made fun of Alice so much makes one laugh until tears come pouring down. He based the character Alice, on his friend; a real life Alice. Throughout the book, he constantly makes references to her, or something related to her. For example, when a character asks her the exact day Alice replies May 4th. May 4th is the real life Alice's birthday. Alice walks through Wonderland, and she sees many strange things, but thinks otherwise. If you like poems, you will certainly like Alice in Wonderland and its sequel, for both books contain numerous poems. However, in the book Carroll takes the original poems and creates a parody out of them. Something interesting to know is that all the poems relate to the chapters. These are all minor details, but something to muse over. On the surface, Alice in Wonderland is a book where she meets weird creatures and walks away from them always feeling humiliated, as she thinks she is smarter than she really is. That is most of Alice in Wonderland.

Alice through the Looking Glass is similar to the prequel, yet glaringly different. The whole book revolves around a chess game, and so the character's actions correspond to moves on the chessboard. Alice joins in the game, starts out as a white pawn, and proceeds to move until she becomes a queen. At each square, she meets a new character, but in one chapter, characters from the previous book are in this one too. An important thing to know in this famous classic is that everything is backwards. It makes sense since Alice is on the other side of a mirror, yet she encounters difficulty sometimes in understanding this. But in the end, she manages to become a queen and to checkmate the red king. Both books are very enjoyable, and I strongly advocate both children and adults to read it. Enjoy!! Cheers!!!!! : )

When I was assigned Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to read for my Victorian Literature class, I was excited. Even though I had heard Alice's Adventures in Wonderland referred to countless times throughout my youth, I had never read the story or seen the movie. I had never heard of Through the Looking Glass, but while reading, I realized that many people who think they are talking about AAIW are actually referring to TTLG. The two texts seem to be conflated in a way that makes them indistinguishable from each other. It is for this reason that I enjoyed reading this edition of the texts. There is only a page separating the two stories, which allows the reader to easily make the transition between them. This small separation also allows the reader to recognize the undeniable connection between the texts and to understand why many people combine them in their minds.
AAIW is about a young girl named Alice whose boring day with her sister is interrupted when a white rabbit runs by her saying, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice's curiosity is aroused, but surprisingly not to a great degree. This is the first hint to the reader that Alice is not an average child, as she seems to believe that a talking rabbit is quite normal. She does become intrigued, though, when the rabbit produces a clock from his pocket, so she follows it down its hole and enters a world of wonder. I loved the story from this point on. It is filled with such unbelievable creatures and situations, but Carroll's writing style made me want to believe in a world that could be filled with so much magic and splendor. There was never a dull moment in the story, and each page was filled with more excitement. I will offer a warning, though. This story is not for those who like a neatly packaged plotline. It is written in a somewhat discontinuous nature and seems to follow some sort of dream logic where there are no rules. However, I enjoyed the nonsensical pattern. Without it, a dimension of the story would be lost. It offers some insight into the mind of a young, adventurous, fearless girl, and Carroll seems to be challenging his readers to be more like Alice.
The second text in this book, TTLG, is again a story about Alice. In this adventure, Alice travels through a wondrous world on the other side of her looking glass. As in AAIW, Alice again encounters absurd creatures, such as live chess pieces and talking flowers. The land she travels through is an oversized chessboard, which gives this story a more structured plot than AAIW. The chess theme provides Alice with sense of what she must accomplish in the looking- glass world, and it provides the reader with a sense of direction throughout the story. Alice's goal is to become a chess queen, so the reader knows that when she becomes queen, the story will be over. However, just because the story has some structure does not mean that it is not just as wild and marvelous as its predecessor. I enjoyed all of the characters. They seem to have an endless supply of advice that people in the 21st century can still learn from. My favorite example is when the Red Queen says, "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" Maybe what Carroll is suggesting is that if we read more nonsensical, unbelievable stories like his, we won't be so afraid to be adventurous and fearless like Alice; so that the next time a white rabbit runs by us, we might just see where it leads us.

Review from Roz: I'll admit I wasn't too thrilled with the book at first. The whole first chapter, in which the royal family is beseiged in the Ruwenda Citadel, seemed almost melodramatic to me. I remember reading the first part of the book with a lot of skepticism. I was thinking, "Well, this is okay, but it's just not the best book I've ever read." However, once I got past the first few chapters, I COULD NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It's just simply a wonderful story. I think most of the appeal lies in the characters--the three princesses who are so different from each other, the dangerously charming bad guy. The history and the setting are very well-thought out. There is an entire side-culture of the "Oddlings", the other sentient species on the World of Three Moons. The history of the place is textured--besides the surface story of the princesses' quests, there is a deeper, interesting layer underneath: the mystery of the Vanished Ones who have left their strange technology behind. When you really start to think about it, the plot of this book is a little tired. Some things are a little too cliche or contrived. But the bottom line is: Who Cares? It's an effective, interesting, enjoyable book, and I loved it. The characters are the best part. Well done.

This book is truly what introduced me to these superb authors .It's definately one of the best books ever written .Magical ,interesting ,fast moving,it has all the qualities to a good book .I adored the creatures they invented ,the Oddlings ,the tree varts ,the Glismak ,the Skritek ,and everything else .They develope a wondreful feeling that I've barely felt before . Here is the plot :Three princesses are born in Ruwenda :Haramis ,smart and leader -like and heir to the throne ,Kadiya ,firey tempered but an amazing huntress,and Anigel,sweet ,timid ,and loving .Each of them is bestowed with the amulet of the black trillium by the Archmage Binah .When the princesses are young women ,the neighboring country of Labornok invades.Haramis ,Kadiya ,and Anigel are split up and sent to look for the magical talismans that will save their country :The Three Winged Circle ,the Three Lobed Burning Eye ,and the Three Headed Monster .But if the sorcerer you uses the king of Labornok as a puppet finds them first ,they will surely be destroyed.

The trio authors Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton have created a world so enchanting that I had to read non-stop from beginning to end. Action began from the first page as the triplet sisters are forced to split up and embark on their own journeys, and conquer themselves.

The story is fun, beleivable, and full of mystery surrounding the ancient citizens of the planet, the vanished ones. It is fairly easy to read because the authors did not add too much description, or confusing topics, which often take away the pleasure of reading.

The charcters came to life for me because their personalities were so human. Also, although I am not a feminist, I enjoyed the fact that the main characters Kadiyah, Haramis, and Anigel are women, which is a good change from many other fantasy stories that have either men as the lead characters or super-strong and unrealistic women running around and beating everyone up, (*cough*Xena-wannabees*cough), excuse me.

Black Trillium has all the elements that make an excellent story. The only problem that I had with it is that the ending seemed to be a little slapped together because it was so short.
This is when all three sisters confront The bad guy, Orogastus, together for the first time. About two short chapters later, the story ends. This dosen't create any loose ends, but it does take some of the momentum that the story had built up.