The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars is, not all stories are excellent. The first one, The Lord of Elphindale, is about a beautiful half-fairy lady, Gwen, who was conceived specially to bind one magical man to the fairy realm. Sounds interesting, isn't? However this story is my least favorite in all four. Although two main characters were attracted to each other but they kind of lacked of deep feeling for one another. So I'm not really impressed with this one. The second story, The feary braid. The concept is interesting and unique. A human girl, although raised by a fairy, struggled to her human soul to find true love and be loved in return. This story is very passionate..although I think, it's a bit 'too long'. The story moved from one event to another in a very slow speed..and sometime, made me want to say..'Alright! What's next?' But still, it's entertaining enough. The third story, Love talker, is one of "The best" novellas I've ever read. A faery lord, Galen was cursed by a fairy queen for seducing mortal women to their deaths..One fine night during his eternal curse, a plain lady with a good heart, Moira, summoned him and asked him to undo his spell on her beloved cousin. Although Galen was burned by a desire for her, he finally learned a meaning of true love and learned that, the only thing he ever wanted for all eternity is to be with a woman he loved... This story made me sigh with a smile on my lip and tear in my eyes. The author did an excellent job to describe feeling of the two main characters and all people around them. The fourth story, Dangerous gifts, is also good although not as good as 'Love talker'. It describes about how two wounded hearts helped each other to find value of themselves. With helping hands from two fairies, one with good intention and the other was to lure a lady and took her for his own, this simple story line was spiced up to above average.... So if you are looking for a really romantic book to read and don't mind a bit of fantasy, this book is absolutely for you!!. And you will love it just as I do..

I *love* shared world collections but usually find myself annoyed at having wasted my precious reading time wading through at least one clunker in the bunch. So, I approached this collection with a little hesitation, sure I'd find myself skimming at least one of the stories. I'm thrilled to report that all four stories were skillfully told and enjoyable and no skimming was necessary. My favorite was Barbara Samuel's THE LOVE TALKER which featured a cursed male faery saved from his torment by the love of a mortal woman. Sigh, this story was so romantic that it was worth the cost of the entire book. My least favorite was probably Jo Beverly's tale THE LORD OF ELPHINDALE only because the hero acted like an all-around jerk to the heroine (who was supposed to be his childhood best-friend) for far too long. This is a story that could've benefited from 100 or so more pages to flesh out his actions and make the romance more believable. Still, this was a fitting addition to the collection and is nowhere near what I'd consider a "clunker". If you enjoy romance and hold a soft-spot in your heart for faeries this is a not-to-be-missed book.

FYI---Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal's Romance reviewer, chose FAERY MAGIC as one of 1998's Notable Books, along with THIEF OF DREAMS by Mary Balogh, THE BRIDE FINDER, by Susan Carroll, THE LAST HELLION, by Loretta Chase, and Rosemary Edghill's MET BY MOONLIGHT.

This is a story about a young girl, Dolores, that gets a kitty, Duncan. Dolores is so excited about her kitty that she smoothers it with attention, along with dresses. The cat is annoyed with all of her attention and favors Dolores' sister instead. Dolores is jealous and decides to ignore Duncan and play by herself instead. While Dolores focuses her attention elsewhere Duncan realizes that Dolores can really be a fun and loveable girl. Plus, Dolores finds out what it takes to win Duncan's love and attention!

My daughter, when I was teaching her how to read, fell absolutely in love with this book. So she decided she wanted to learn to read that one. But however, she memorized it and could probably recite it by heart if she wanted to. Infact, she basically could. As I sat there watching her "read" this book, I noticed she turned the pages far too early. Now she's a junior in high school and is taking an oral interpretation class in which she needed a children's book to read. And she just had to have this book. In her words, "Why should I choose an inferior book when I can choose the best book ever written?"

My 5 year old laughed hysterically when I read this story to her. I even read it to her class at school and they all laughed as well. A very enjoyable read. One of my daughter's favorites!

Elizabeth left her castle under less than perfect circumstances & expected to find it in shambles upon her return. To her surprise it & her people are thriving under the care and guidance of a handsome knight, Thomas. Their attraction to each other is immediate & though they want to be together, secrets from the past threaten to keep them apart. The resolution of this conflict is extremely romantic.

Note: this book won the 1998 Rita Award for the best Historical Romance - short category. She was up against some staunch competition from Jill Barnett, Christina Dodd, Barbara Dawson Smith, etc. Definitely a great read!

Barbara Samuel has captured the magic of 14th century love and life with wonderful accuracy. When the widowed Lady Elizabeth returns from exile she discovers a mysterious but captivating knight guarding her lands and her people.

The mystery deepens as she comes to know this gentle knight, Dark Thomas, as he is called by the common folk. Although sometimes awkward in his actions, his heart is as great as his size. But Elizabeth soon questions her feelings and discovers that she does not like the answers.

Set in the dynamics of rural England, this story takes on a life that thrusts the reader into the simplistic yet terribly complicated medieval age...when the word of a king has the power over life and death, and the tenements of caste govern all. Journey with two people as they discover their love and struggle for happiness under the harsh rule of their "social" age.

I picked this book up on a whim at a book fair. I was enormously lucky to find four such gifted story tellers together in one book. This book is a must for those who love the Ireland of yore. This was one of those books I read cover to cover in one sitting. After each story, I was worried that the next would be a disappointment, but that never happened. These tales weave together to give you a sense of Irish Magick as its best.

Wonderful stories of magic, romance, and irish lore. If you like to curl up at night with a short story, this is a great book for you. I was delighted with this book and with Irish Magic.

Written by the son of one of Lenin's main embalmer's, this short book follows his family's personal history against the backdrop of Soviet politics. The book is at its most effective in relating the Zbarsky's personal history in the face of Stalinism. Behind all of this is the story of Lenin's corpse. Indeed, the author's father was head of the labratory maintaining Lenin. A fair bit of technical detail is given about the preservation and tomb.
This is a very personal memior. The author had a poisoned relationship with his father, and the book is laced with this acid. Good or Bad, Zbarsky blames his father for misdirecting his studies and his career. In between this, the history of political distortion of science during the 1930's from a personal point of view is fascinating and chilling. The book also tells the story of how his father rose to a privileged position in Soviet society, and some of the double think involved in this. The Zbarsky's thought they were untouchable, having survived the purges of the 1930's only to fall foul of Stalin just before his death. Evidently, with some irony Stalin's death probably saved the father, who was in the gulag by then.
The book concludes with some history of other embalming done by the lab, first for political reasons and then for financial reason after the collapse of the Sovient Union.
In some ways, I thought the poisoned relationship between father and son detracted from the history involved. Perhaps it was deserved, but at some point it color's the author's perspective on other events. Having said that, this book is a strange but interesting story of life in Soviet Russia.

I have read so many books about the Former Soviet Union, that I would probably not realize I had read some of them, until I had read into the books for some length. This book by Ilya Zbarsky "Lenin's Embalmers" is not one you will forget.

The book is not ghoulish nor is it sensational; it is an incredible story about an exceptional event and profession. The book is primarily about the initial embalming, and the decades of maintenance upon Lenin's corpse that have followed. The book is made much more interesting, as the Author meshes the story of Lenin's remains with Soviet History as he and his Family experienced it. The Author also includes the History of the tomb itself, from the earliest designs, through the modifications it has gone through over the years. Architectural drawings as well as construction photographs are included.

The book maintains that all of Lenin was initially preserved, and contrary to persistent rumors, that the entire body has remained intact. Whether or not the book is convincing on these points, I leave to other readers. This really is a great offbeat read. It also is a serious explanation of the History, not a tabloid distortion.

I had never heard about this book until I saw it sitting on a shelf at a small bookstore. The title intrigued me, so I purchased it. While a lot of the work, at least initially, discusses the embalming of Lenin's corpse, there was a considerable amount of material about life during the purges of Stalin. The author was a witness to many events, albeit from a priviledged position in the Soviet hierarchy, and his recounting of the "show trials" and the terror of the "knock in the middle of the night" is revealed explicitly. There is also some recounting of other Communist leaders being embalmed by Russian experts, the section concerning the work on Ho Chi Minh during the height of the American bombing of North Vietnam being particularly interesting. Read this book to learn many different and interesting things about life under Stalin, and also the early days of the USSR.

I feel like I've been thru an emotional wringer. The writing is beautiful, the story incredibly romantic and the whole relationship between Basilio and Cassandra simmers with sensuality. This was a very special treat. I can't wait to read the rest of Barbara Samuels or Ruth Wind - whatever name she wants to write under is a special gift for the reader. Thank you Barbara!

This is one of the most beautiful, heart rending love stories I have ever read. Two wonderful people and so much in love. As a hero Basilio is one of the strongest, yet gentlest, with a beautiful heart. Loved every word and the biblical verse she refers to is one of my favorites including the 11th Commandment. A definite keeper and recommended read.

This book is sensual and passionate. I could feel the sun in Tuscany and the soul-deep feelings of Cassandra and Basilio. The characters seemed so real to me, with the kind of problems that good people find themselves facing, that I keep thinking about it. Very highly recommended!

I like Ruth Wind and when I discovered that she and Barbara Samuels were one and the same, I went on a hunt for some of Ms Samuel's novels. This is the first one I found.

There was a lot to admire in this book - firstly, far from the virginal unknowing heroine, Adriana St Ives actually has sexual needs, which she once met. Sadly, because of the times in which she lived, this lead to her ruin. Her brothers felt honour bound to defend her, and then had to leave the country. And that is all in the back story!! So the scene is richly set.

Adriana is a complicated delightful heroine, and her final speach was quite wonderful: "I learned to fight like a boy, and my heart was too lusty... I am ashamed of my willfulness in taking a lover, and I am even more ashamed that I did not insist upond dueling Malvern myself. If I wanted to play the man on one level, then I needed to be a man on all levels.." An inspirational heroine!

However I have to agree with the reviewer who said that the hero's past was not as well drawn. We never know why he was called the Black Angel and indeed his London exploits which brought him the name are never illuminated. His difficulties and painfilled past are more Irish in origin - but then, why not call the book A Hundred Kisses (a plot device to get the sexual tension up) and leave the angel references out altogether...

Also, it was clear on one level that the book is setting up a series - so we will experience the love stories of Adriana's siblings. However in this book it left for a lot of loose threads. Matters of import were alluded to and never followed up. Sisters had important discussions and then seemed to forget about each other. One moment a sister's illness is so threatening that they all have to leave London at a pivotal moment to visit her, and then they just seem to forget about her.

I actually found it a strength that the romance included such diverse themes as racism, religion and feminism. I feel that it grounded the book, giving it a sense of reality and aliveness. And Ms Samuel's does write beautifully. However I was left with the sad feeling that it could have been so much better...

Sorry, but my disappointment in this book had to do with a poor definition of the hero. How did he get his reputation? I kept waiting to see the man behind the reputation--and all I saw was a strong heroine, with a weak hero. She showed more of a rakish personality than he did! Also didn't like all the tangents the story went on--feminism, racism, relgious freedom. One theme would have been plenty. Why did I give it 3 stars. Barbara Samuel's writing skills do shine thru!

I have never read anything by Barbara Samuel but I am glad I did. This book was a delight. It gave a believable plot with a little history lesson. I was engrossed with the developing relationship between the characters. I look forward to reading Ms. Samuel's next book.

I found this to be a beautiful love story as well as an emotional mystery. It is a very relaxing yet a very mysterious read. I would recommend this book to mystery readers as well as love story readers.

In contrast to the previous reviewer, I have to say that this book is not groundbreaking. The author has simply taken material that already exists in the fields of art therapy and arts medicine, fashioned it into a book. There are so many other books that deal with this material such as MCNiff's Art as Medicine, Allen's Art is a Way of Knowing, and Malchiodi's Art Therapy Sourcebook, each provides more grounded, novel information than what is provided in this particular book. I also kept wishing that the author did not refer to cancer or illness as a gift-- that concept is tired and not appropriate to any literature on healing wisdom. This book would have been wiser to stay away from that all together.

This book is an inspiration! The material is presented simply, clearly, and in a logical progression. Ater reading the first few chapters, which talk about how to use the art and healing process, and the differences in expressing emotions verbally and through imagery, I felt I had a much better understanding of the topic and the confidence to try the process for myself. One of the things I especially like about it, is that it contains plenty of anecdotal work with clients and includes the artwork that came out of their process (which helped relieve the insecurity I felt about my own art ability). At the end of each chapter, Ganim gives the reader exercises to try at home, along with guided visualizations to help relax you into each exercise. Then she provides self-dialoguing questions to help you understand what your images might mean. I found this book the next best thing to taking a workshop on Art and Healing. The only thing that would make it better would be to offer audio tapes with the guided visualizations on it, which would make it that much easier to work on this at home.

This is a great book for lay people. Many books of this type are too academic, densely written or boring to the average non-professional reader who might be interested in this topic. The writer makes the concept so easy to understand. It's filled with examples of interesting (and often beautiful) art work with words and stories by the creators. Very powerful to have the individuals who themselves have gone through life-threatening illnesses and traumatic situations talk about the healing power of art. Particularly fascinating to see examples of how art can be used globally and with the environment. Kudos to the all the people who shared so honestly their intimate stories and viewpoints, and congratulations to the author for compiling such a compelling body of work.