This book and another Kane book "Night Winds" contain some of the best short stories and novellas ever written in the fantasy form in my opinion. I've managed to collect most of the out of print Kane books over the years and wouldn't sell for just about any price. Kane is a far better example of the "anti-hero" than Michael Moorcocks Elric that there really isn't any comparison. This particular book has 3 fantastic stories, and though I agree with the prior reviewers that the 2nd is probably the best, I also rate the 1st and 3rd among my all time favorite fantasy short stories. All-in-all, this is required reading for any fan of the fantasy genre.

All 3 novellas this book are excellent reading. The first, about a werewolf's attack in a snowbound castle/hunting lodge is the closest I have ever seen any fantasy author get to true mystery tales of Sherlock Holmes/Arthur Conan Doyle calibre. Next is an action-filled bounty hunt where "good" confronts evil. A moral study and a ripping sword and sorcery yarn woven into a mesmermizing tapestry. The last is a chilling tale of lust and vampiric possession. The emptiness this tale leaves behind is trademark Karl Edward Wagner ("Never Dessylyn" and "Last Song of Valdese" are other fine examples (Night Winds)). After years of re-reading these tales and discussing them with friends, I still cannot decide upon a favourite. Wagner's skill in describing action realistically, mystery tantalizingly and weird occult phenomena in a way that tingles are showcased in each story of this book, his crowning masterpiece of dark fantasy. If you can get your hands on a copy, pay any price. You'll enjoy reading them many times. Get the other KEW titles first (Darkness Weaves, Dark Crusade, Bloodstone and Night Winds) and save Death Angel's Shadow for the grand finale. You'll be wishing there were more stuff that was even close to this good...

"Cold Light" is one of the best stories I've ever read. I've been looking for years to get another copy of this book simply to read that story again. While the other two stories in the book are very good, it is "Cold Light" which makes this a book to keep in your collection.

I would like to know where to obtain a purtaneous distcotectomy as outlined on page 236 by Dr Wagner, to enable me to write a review.
Would it be possible for me to talk to him either through yourselves or myself?
Regards....Ray Kirton ..Sydney..Australia

I purchased "How To Stay Out of the Doctor's Office" several years ago, and I am convinced the book has saved me thousands of dollars in medical bills. Wagner's book helps you to diagnose common physical ailments, and he gives natural solutions for healing. He gives precise descriptions of problems like kidney stones, gallstones, high blood pressure, cholesterol control, thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis, gout, tinnitis, yeast infections, ulcers, and diabetes. I have read some sections of his book several times, and I am convinced that I have avoided/cured gallstones, kidney stones, gout, and ulcers by following his advice. I highly recommend this book to everyone. (jsoverton@excite.com)

Three years ago I read "How to Stay Out of the Doctor's Office" and was so impressed with it that I contacted the publisher to find out where Dr. Wagner was located. Several days later he called me directly and asked how he could be of help. Since then Dr. Wagner has become our family doctor, and we have come to appreciate his straightforwardness in telling his patients to ask questions, to become educated in making informed decisions, and finally, to "take control" of their own health. I keep his book with me at all times and treat it as my "medical bible". Each chapter is extremely informative and I have used many of them to help family and friends with common sense solutions to their medical problems. Easy to read, its format offers the layperson a basic understanding of his/her ailment, what causes it, the conventional treatment, problems associated with that treatment, and then a "no nonsense" approach to alternative remedies that include a good nutritional program, vitamin and supplement support, amino acids, herbs, adjunctive remedies, and exercise regimens. Dr. Wagner is located in Philadelphia, PA. He has a radio program, "The Dr. Wagner Health Show" which airs on Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 p.m. on 1540am. He has written another book, "How to Stay Out of the Hospital" which addresses the problems of orthodox medicine and offers many case histories. With Dr. Wagner's permission, I am including his office number for those readers who need to contact him: (215) 455-0717.

The pace is fast but with enough details to let you get into the characters.

My only complaint (if you can call it as one) is that you MUST read the next book because this story does not resolve itself or the characters.

Powerful characters and a lot of mystery surrounding the character Kane.

Looking forward to reading the rest of the story!!

Without doubt, Kane is the most compelling and enigmatic hero/antihero ever. Scholar, sorceror and warrior, Kane wanders the ages manipulating entire kingdoms and races for his amusement.

Cursed with immortality, the only remedy to alleviate infinte boredom is court intrigue and conquest.

Karl Edward Wagner has created a character of striking contrasts in a world of medieval beauty and gothic horror.

I first read this book in 1977 and haven't tired of rereading it since. Kane makes all other rugged heros and barbarians look like flower pressing dandies.

Wagner's writing is so powerful that you are drawn into Kane's world so deeply that it seems you are on the battlefield in a mystical realm in a time before time...He's my favorite anti-hero.

Have you ever wondered about things like love between a man and a woman, a father's love for a child, or modern positions for making love? In the book "The Second Peoples: The Beginning," those questions and more are answered. The two main characters are Umfazi and Anbessa. Anbessa's name is Amharic and means lion, and Umfazi's name is Zulu word for woman. It should be noted that the names used in this book are real names or are derived from real names. Umfazi, a very young woman is about to give birth to her first child. She is alone and afraid, she has just lost her entire family and tribe in a horrible fire. As the book opens she is hanging in s tree and is experiencing some very painful contractions. Anbessa, a young man who has witnessed fire and smoke coming from a mountain has ventured away from the safety and security of his tribe to find out where the fire is coming from. During Anbessa's travels he hears moans coming from the direction of a tree and at first he thinks it might be an animal, but upon further inspection he sees Umfazi. She is obviously about to give birth. At first Anbessa just watches Umfazi but she is in so much pain that he decides to help her.

This is a highly unusual action for a male to take, a man witnessing the birth of a child let alone assisting in that birth because it is considered offensive to the spirits. Men were never around women during birth or when they had their monthly cycle. The birth of Caraga, Umfazi's daughter, is the first of many different or unnatural circumstances that happened in this book.

Anbessa and Umfazi are two people alone in the wilderness, with a newborn baby, battling the elements and wild animals. They often are forced to move from place to place in seach of shelter, safety, food, and clean drinking water.

During their travels they do some things that are definetly considered different. One of those things is that they fall in love. This is highly unusual since women were basically used for mating (sex) and for men's personal pleasure; there was to be no pleasure for the woman. Anbessa and Umfazi develop feelings and make love to feel closer to one another.

Another thing that the couple did differently was the way they made love. The traditional way was for a woman to get down on her hands and knees and the man would could from behind and do his business. One night as they were mating Umfazi decides that she wants to look at Anbessa while they mate, thus the beginning of a new sexual position. Caraga was the apple of Anbessa's eye which in modern times would not be unusual but at the time when the story takes place men did not associate with children. Yet, Anbessa played with Caraga and loved her like she was his own child, even though she was not.

The Second People: The Beginning, was a very different type of book for me. It interwove love and anthropology, two things that I did not think could be linked together. This was a beautiful story and on the RAW scale it is a 4.

Simone A. Hawks

A blend of fiction and non-fiction that make the reading very believable. It show the trials and tribulations that this little band of people face on a daily basis just to survive and find the courage to keep on going.

A must for all age groups.

Once started I could not put it down. The relatiionship of the man & woman slowly evolve and grow beautifully.

I related to the feelings of the man (Anbessa) and the little girl (Caraga) and the troubles they faced as she grew and matured.

Can not wait to see if there will be another one.

It reminded me a lot of Jean Auel and her book"Clan of The Cave Bear"

This book is by far the best book I have ever read. Kane is the greatest character of all time. Kane is a dark hero not some prissy wimp. I have also read some of the Conan books and I think compared to Kane Conan is a choir boy.

If you are tired of reading about allegedly powerful immortal beings who are afraid of the dark and get their butts kicked by the first scummy little orc to wander by, then reading this book is for you. Set in a byzantine past where multiple gods vy for power along with the denziens of the underworld, Wagner delievers a unique interpetation of the Biblical version of Kane who was the this world's first murderer. Marked by an Elder God for strangling his brother Able, a look into Kanes' killer blue eyes reveals the soul of a killer. Cursed to a life of immortality, Kane can only be killed by physical violence at the hands of another. Except that Kanes stands 6' tall, weighs 300 pounds of solid muscle and has the life experiences of thousands of years to draw upon. Absolute master warrior, magician, thief, geneal, admiral, scientist, philosopher, assassin etc... his real curse is boredom from outliving his friends and enemies alike. Kane defines the term Amoral, only out for himself and will ultimately serve no interest save for his own. Its only a matter of time before Hollywood embraces this perfect antihero and rolls out a movie. Unfortunately Wagner died a tragic death at a relativelly young age and there will be no more fresh Kane stories.

I can`t believe I`m the first person to review this epicmasterpiece. To all readers, this book is a MUST for all fantasy-fans. Wagner creates a war-torn world of great evils and greater adventures, similar to Howard`s Hyborian World, but much more realistic and threatening. Impending doom lurks on every page, and believe me, the end is almost never happy! This book is a collections of Wagner`s best novels and short stories about his dark hero, Kane who might be a good counterpart to all those nice, princess rescuing, dragon slaying heroes you find too often in bad fantasy. Not so Kane: he loves to plunder, raid and rape and often he raises armies to invade peaceful kingdoms. But he`s not a simple brute, but owns a piercing intelligence apart from a muscular bulk of a body. The thing is, Kane, wether he acts as general, corsair or necromancer, he`s not evil, but only after his own advantage and if he can be persuaded, he also fights for good purposes. This makes him so realistic and the reader can identify himself with Kane, of course also due to Wagner`s fantastic ability of storytelling, unmatched by all writers of fantasy today, perhaps except for George R. Martin`s Game of Thrones. Believe me, I`ve read them all, Goodkind or Jordan, to name two, and they couldn`t touch Wagner with a very long stick. Thank you.

Clinical Epidemiology has become a core element in the understanding and treatment of human illness. Defined as a method of generating valid conclusions from clinical observations, clinical epidemiology arms health practitioners with skills essential for modern health care. As a Physical Therapist (PT) I am often asked to render a diagnosis based on clinical hypotheses with "soft" measurements like pain, distress and function loss; how can I ensure that my diagnosis is correct? Traditional practice encourages the health care student to believe that knowing enough anatomy & physiology will somehow optimise health care outcomes. This book not only challenges that view but it also arms the reader with the knowledge and applicable skills to interpret research and also to ensure that any work you carry out is robust and in keeping with EBM principles. A highly recommended text and great value for money. A must for lecturers, student PT's and anyone who wonders how they can improve their critical analysis of health care practice. Don't treat patients without a copy on your shelf (assuming of course you read it...osmosis is NOT a recognised learning tool).

The authors explain the basic principles and basic concepts of clinical epidemiology in a clear and understandable way. Examples for each subject make reading pleasant and easy, contrary to what one may expect in a book of this kind.
I recommend it for every person who is related to the health sciences and interested in obtaining the best out of medical literature.

Clinical Epidemiology has been considered the new 'Basic Science' to medical students. This book offers a excelent approach to main problems found by beginners in this vast field of knowledge like how to deal with Statistics and with the huge number of papers published. With a easy language this book is good option to get started in this branch of Medicine now called the 'Science of the Art'.

This is a great book! The method at which the material is presented rivals that of medical textbooks. The graphics and illustration are great! Go UC Irvine! Spcial Events Parking Rocks!

The information presented in this book was very helpful in my understanding of virology. The text was very easily followed and subjects presented in a straightforward manner. Basic Virology is a must have!

For me, theres not much to say about Wagner, except I wish he was still with us, writing. He really had a way of getting inside my head with his work

Karl Edward Wagner's intelligent, clearly written tales of terror are among the genre's best, and it is sad that this book is out of print. The story "Sticks," which I first read nearly ten years ago, is still as haunting to me today as it was the day I read it. This story seem like an inspiration (or at least a precursor) for the use of stick bundles in the (far inferior) movie "The Blair Witch Project." "The River of Nights Dreaming," a pull-out-all-the-stops tale of a desperate female prison escapee who stumbles into the midst of some extremely strange and kinky goings-on, is also hard to forget. In fact, there is not a boring or forgettable story in this collection. Most of Wagner's stories aren't excessively subtle, but they are well-crafted, satisfying horror yarns. If you are interested in short horror fiction, you cannot do better than to read Karl Edward Wagner, in my opinion.

Having heard Barenboim and Said interviewed on NPR I rushed to Amazon to acquire this book. I was not disppointed! These are highly literate men, wise men, who see music in a social context. Although their roots are Israeli and Palestinian, their exposure to other cultures has broadened their perspectives so that their opinions are informed by their experiences in Egypt, Argentina, America, Germany, Israel, etc. The continuing theme is music, especially that of Beethoven and later Wagner, but in the context of their societies and ours. It may be that the hope forpeace in the world is shared music!

If there is a book that presents valuable and valid lessons in how to resolve differences, be they in attitudes towards the arts, the lack of music in our educational system, the etiology of the Israeli/Palestinian dichotomy, and so much more, then this collection of conversations between Daniel Barenboim and Edward W. Said as edited and synthesized by Ara Guzelimian is it. This powerful but too brief book reaches for the Nobel Peace Prize in its courage, exploration of the state of man and the possibilities for the future, and in its tremendously accessible format that makes the workings of these three great minds available for us all. Each of the extended conversations taped betaween 1995 and 1999 addresses an interesting topic that serves to open vistas that go far beyond the crux of the topic. Hearing Barenboim expound on the fact that no one can exactly interpret a composer's score because the spirit is not on the page but in the making and experiencing the 'sound' that happens in a live performance rather obliterates all critics who descry individual interpretation of the great composers as "not the composer's intention!" Said carries this into the realm of literature, suggesting that contemporary writers are where they are because of the giants of the past and that we, as readers, are influenced in our interpretation of new work dependent upon our exposure and digestion of works by the old masters. Contemporary music by composers such as Carter, Schoenberg, and Birtwistle are discussed in a way that assists our concept of listening and learning in the concert hall. Similar parallels and similar paradoxes in the international political arena are given the same level of inspiring dialog and paths to understanding. This is a fine, fine book and we are indebted to Ara Guzelimian not only for his written and conversational contributions, but for persevering in having this volume published. Read this and gain insight and intelligence on many streams of thought that will help us all save this planet.

In the book a worrier name Kane who seems immortal and ageless, finds an ancient relic in the booty of a bloody raid. With this relic he seeks to unearth and awaken an ancient power with which he will rule the earth. It is a gory tale of a man part savage, part sage, with a touch of satanic seasoning, and lust to rule the planet he is doomed to stride for eterity. If you loved Kane you should try and read some of Wagners other tales of Kane Like : Dark Crusade, of Darkness weaves both excellent, and they give hint to his past.

If you liked Bloodstone, the rest of the series is a must read. Wagner has managed to create the near perfect anti-hero. I would also recommend "Killer", a book he co-authored with David Drake. Not a sword and sorcery tale, but good sci-fi.

Bloodstones fills every need that a sword and sorcery reader has. The character,Kane, is truely the hero or un-hero, your choice, that we all seek to follow. Sporting the triple "B's", Big, Brutal, and Brilliant he shows the reader survival and success techniques that apply even in today's market arena. I am constantly amazed at the intricate flow of intrigue Wagner created. I have read the book three times and then lost my copy. I am now on my own quest for the "bloodstone" and the power of it's story.