Renaissance Man, is an absolutely encapsulating novel!
924076
Renaissance Man, is an absolutely encapsulating novel that grabbed every emotion I have, and brought them all to the surface. As I read page by page the novel, feelings of love, fear, heartache, dreams, dismay.. (ok I cant list them all here, nor had I realized where all of those emotions I was feeling were, they were buried deep inside of me.)  M.Garzon reached deep into my soul through her words, delivering a powerful story that made me cry several times, be angry and the next page. I was feeling the indepth love and then being scared out of my britches the next chapter! I absolutely LOVE the emotional way that the author writes! I was so engrossed in reading Renaissance Man that I could NOT put the book down. The gift M.Garzon has for writing, is above all else just simply amazing, I wish I could pinpoint out the exact spell she put on me in her writing that captures me so deeply.
4910620
I was blown away by this novel. The intimacy between Max & Lisette was mind-blowing. Even though these two very different, strong willed individuals encountered each other completely by accident, and married as absolute strangers, the revelation discovered is that they were ultimately made for one another, in every single aspect. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.

This novel was an invigorating, intoxicated passionate tale, that included an extraordinary amount of twists & turns. It will have you guessing, and on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I was extremely pleased with this book, not just because it was an exquisitely written love story, but an informative US History Lesson as well. I was flabbergasted to come to the realization that even though after more than two hundred years, we as American's cannot learn from the mistakes of our forefathers from the past to take care of our unexpected future. That even back then there were crocket politicians being paid off by other countries, to commit treasonable acts against us. And, at the same time running our free and glorious country as well. Thank You Ms. Kleypas for reminding me that history always repeats itself, especially now.

ALWAYS DESERVING BEYOND A 5 STAR RATING!!
1423603
An intricately woven novel of love, hate, greed, power and forgiveness  A Doomsday Tale was captivating from the first page.

Set in England during the 11th century, Maggie Garfield has created such richly defined characters that are true not only to the time period, but true to the intricacies and temperaments that she has created for them.  They leap from the page, grabbing your heart and mind until you find yourself completely enveloped in their story, cheering their victories and cursing their obstacles.

The world that is described around the characters and the story that is woven had me sitting for hours at a time, engrossed in this tale.  I highly recommend this book  and absolutely cannot wait for the sequel to continue following the story that has ignited a curiosity and passion for a time period which I previously had no knowledge or interest in.
376355
Wow!  From the first page to the last, I was literally transfixed by this incredibly well written Science fiction/Fantasy Novel.  K.D.. Martel's epic story is  easily comparable to those of my favorite Sci/Fi/Fantasy writers of all time - Ray Bradbury, C.S. Lewis, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and too many others to mention. Martel did not disappoint!  Steeped in a wildly imaginative futuristic Cosmos, Martel weaves in fabulous detail a story of intrigue, drama, joy, love and camaraderie between innately interesting characters, each exquisitely crafted and brought to life .  The Author captivates with sublime descriptions of each and every landscape of multiple worlds and their inhabitants, and exceptional descriptive of the interplanetary travel between multiple worlds.  The Novel follows  their lives as they are brought together to forge their way through a myriad of trials and tribulation, love and elation, elemental interplanetary upheaval, and the ever present conflict against dark forces who test their fate as Guardians of the Crystals.

As the book leaves off, we are left with a teaser of a sequel.  YES!
1282908
This is a simply fabulous novel filled with characters who will stay with me for many many years. WOW - what a story this author has created and the telling of it is masterful.  I loved the book - one of those that I hated for it to end but could not put it down!

As I was reading, I laughed out loud, smiled often, teared up and actually shed tears a couple of times.  The story resonated with me on so many levels (and it will for most people) ... including the parent / child relationship aspect, the non-stereotypical fitting in to the "norm", flying under the radar yet achieving great things, personal growth, love and friendship, completeness in one's life, and so much more ... Right down to the flea markets / "vintage" shops ... OMG did I mention that I love the book and can still "picture the characters"?

This one is a must read!
4329798
Not only was the story fascinating, I discovered the high renaissance group of great men who still are among the greatest artists, sculptors, and thinkers who ever lived. If you want to feel like an insider in the world of Leonardo and Michelangelo then definitely read this novel.
2169197
Vincent Czyz crafts a suspenseful, whirlwind plot full of revelations that challenge dominant assumptions about Christianity. The Christos Mosiac manages to strike the perfect balance between fast-paced action and deep philosophical questioning. The treasure hunt style story brought to mind The Da Vinci Code and I can just see Tom Hanks chasing after the ancient scrolls! This book will give you the exhilaration of a classic adventure novel with all the deep and thought-provoking themes one expects from great literature!
2642610
Having read 'Rise to Power' earlier, I couldn't wait to start the second book in this fascinating series. What amazes me the most about the author's writing is her ability to pluck those long forgotten names and events in history and bring them to life in such powerful way one feels as though they are people next door, glaringly different and yet so wonderfully easy to understand despite their absolutely authentic-to-their-times attitudes. From each page they are coming across, offering wonderfully rare peeks into their lives, their desires, their thoughts, their struggles, just normal people and not dusted statues or dry description of this or that deed.

The moment I picked this book, I couldn't put it down.
"...I am a King. Truly, I am! At first I find it hard to believe, and wipe my eyes in wonder, and try to convince myself of this puzzling fact, because when you dream about ascending tot he throne for so long as I have, you learn to suspect what you see , because it may still be the lingering effect of your fantasy, even if to you it seems real..."
The wonderfully poetic prose of this novel interweaves with lively dialog that makes it so easy for us, the readers, to relate and understand, to embrace these people as though they were our contemporaries, their feelings and thoughts. David is such controversial character, but in this novel he comes across as so human, strong and weak and struggling. Yes arrogant and sure of himself and his destiny, and yet a man that is so easy to relate and to understand.
As for Bathsheba, what wonderfully intricate characters this woman turned out to be!
"... Embarrassed, she looks away. "No, how could I?" she asks. "At the time I held myself back from complaining. I made it my mission to find favor in your eyes."..."
Their relationship so uneasy, so intricate, so twisted. He owes other women, but he knows that he doesn't owes her - '...They are mine. She is not..." He craves her like no other, but he can't change for her. And she... oh what a woman!

A fan of historical fiction, I hold this series - The David Chronicles - as the best of their genre!
2092736
Words cannot describe the impact this weighty volume has had on me.  From the moment I held it in my trembling hands, I was hooked. The rich, carefully crafted prose is a delight to the eye and the imagination.  Its author is undoubtedly a man of breath-taking vision who has reconstructed the 17th-century past with unique skills of research and analysis.  His character shines through in every page and the reader cannot help but conjure up in his or her mind a dazzling image of a dark tall handsome curator with beautifully slick and greased black hair, a whiff of moustache, and sparkling gold-rimmed glasses.  Every inch a man of learning.  I could go on - and I will.
746793
This amazement and wonderment massages your brain and allows you to truly contemplate about Greek tragedy, philosophy, and theology. Hmmmmm.....so interesting and surreal and have me craving for more as I read this magical novel. So surreal and enticing. I was captivated by the original and funky book cover as well, that drew me in to read the novel right away. I savored every word as I read Plato Blinked. I love that everything is in harmony and everything is filled with goodness in this fascinating novel. Join me and experience the enchantment. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it to everyone! You rock Heather Pioro!
4381610
I just finished this novel and I'm happy to say it met exceeded my expectations and did not disappoint! When I pre-ordered this book on Amazon, I was so excited and could hardly stand the time waiting for my Kindle version of Trespassing to arrive. Captivating and enthralling, I couldn't get enough of this story and it's eerie premise. As the reader, you find yourself plagued with neverending questions and an insatiable hunger to find the answers, and get to the bottom of what is really going on! I found Veronica very relatable in her heartfelt desire to be a mother, and everything she went through to become one. I feel this novel, through the trials and tribulations of our narrator, offers a final message of courage, hope, and strength. I definitely recommend this title. It is solid all the way around, it keeps you glued to the pages, drives you insane with anticipation, is brimming with mystery and intrigue, and keeps you thinking about it even when your not reading it! I must confess... I took it with me everywhere I went until I finally reached the satisfying ending. I'll definitely be watching for more from Brandi Reeds!
2406356
Indulge yourself in a  fantastical delight from a modern day renaissance man! This is a book for fans of the genre *about* fans of the genre. Johnson adeptly blends the light and the dark in this debut novel filled with secret orders and ancient magic, rock bands, bars, and homeless sages, canyons and his beloved city of San Diego, CA. One passage will find tender themes of home, belonging, and love of nature, and the next will have you gripping the book while dodging words like magic swords as they leap off the page and paint in your mind's eye an epic, bloody battle for freedom! What more could you ask for?? One read through will leave two things certain: you will never again view your local musicians and beggars the same way, and you will be left hungry and eagerly awaiting another installment of the action!
3079629
Couldn't put this down!  I love historical novels, and this was one that I will count as one of  my all time favorites!  Spanning four generations in the court of the kings of France, ending with the French revolution, you are transported back to that time.  Love, intrigue, life for peasant as well as royalty, it is riveting!
2093570
John Rose's The Rise and Fall of a Poor Man is one of the most riveting, captivating books that I have read in a very long time. This novel is my first foray into the genre of tragic comedy" and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the authors incredible writing talent.  Mr. Rose drew me into Alexanders story in a way that ignited my curiosity about how the story would end; therefore, I was compelled to finish reading until I turned the very last page!

What I loved the most about The Rise and Fall of a Poor Man is the incredibly heartfelt life lessons that the author weaved into this tale about a man who rises from poverty and ascends to the highest of highs by achieving astronomical wealth via a professional football career. Through a series of poor decision making, he loses it all and plummets to the lowest of lows.  He is forced to start fresh, reclaim his strength of will and begin anew.  But can he manage this seemingly insurmountable task or will he be hopelessly doomed to failure?

I am an avid reader of romance, but trust me when I say that it is no romantic fairy tale. Even so, I could not bring myself to stop reading Alexanders story.  This novel addresses the life of a professional NFL football player in a way that I have never experienced before.  It is raw and it is gritty! Since the book is based on true events, I sat thinking about the final, jaw-dropping ending for a very long time. The Rise and Fall of a Poor Man is a depiction of real life issues, including the perils of fame and fortune, being smart enough to know who to trust, seeking guidance when times get hard and maintaining the strength, dedication and fortitude to advance oneself even in the darkest, most unfortunate of circumstances.

The Rise and Fall of a Poor Man is one of the most inspirational books that I have read this year!  It is a tremendous triumph and even though I had my reservations about reading it, I am so glad that I did!!!  The surprise ending is well worth it; John Rose has created something deeply profound, yet elegant in its delivery!  It taught me so much about the world of professional sports.  It is a wonderful read that will touch you emotionally and leave you ruminating on how to apply the lessons learned to your own personal, real-life decisions.

Overall: The Rise and the Fall of a Poor Man gets a thumbs up from me!!!  4/5 solid stars that will keep you turning the pages!
1089034
I am absolutely delighted with this novel.  Rarely do I come across a novel that fully engages me on so many levels. Even more rare that such a novel would be set in 1200 France, as my tolerance for historical fiction in general is pretty low. Yet this novel captivated me. From the first paragraph I was hooked and wanted to know more. In the midst of a very busy work and life schedule, I found myself stealing time to read a page here, a chapter there.  Excited about getting to the end but not wanting to really finish the book.  "The Treasure of Montsegur" is written in the tradition of a tragic love story, yet its historical relevance is not diminished.  The author provides a well-researched background on the Catholic Crusades in France that tortured and killed thousands of people during the 1200s.  The novel is framed in the axiom that history repeats itself and is richly layered with historical, religious, spiritual, and tragic elements of the period.
Burnham tells the story in voices as layered as the storyline. The novel centers on the life of a woman named Jeanne.  Found in a field by Cathers after the Crusaders raid her village. Jeanne is raised in the Cather faith and eventually becomes a revolutionary in the struggle to maintain the faith despite the Catholic Inquisitions.  Jeanne is a fully realized character who loves, sins, betrays, falls, rises, heals. Using both narrative and first person (Jeanne), the author educates the reader on the horrors of the Cather annihilation while at the same time inviting the reader on a spiritual journey of love.
Burnham's writing is absolutely superb.  The rhythm of the language and choice of words creates a reading space that provides immediate access to the period and the conditions under which people lived and tried to navigate their way through religious domination and spiritual fulfillment.  On many occasions I had to research words and go beyond the first definition to find an archaic definition that would provide greater meaning to the sentence.  At times, the reading experience was very much like piecing together a puzzle.  The satisfaction of completing a puzzle comparable to the delight experienced each time I found a definition that fit.  The story further motivated me to research the actual massacre at Montsegur, leaving me much better informed on the subject than I was prior to reading the novel.
I certainly hope that this novel finds its way into the classroom.  What a wonderful way to initiate discussion on the Catholic Inquisitions.  After having found an advanced reader's copy of the novel at a thrift shop, I consider this to be one of my greatest reading treasures.  Highly recommended!
353586
This exquisite novel with its dazzling cover is something to treasure, for it contains such intricate detail as to take your breath away. The electrifying tension radiates off the pages as this thrilling, mesmerizing tale is as gripping as Dan Brown's `The Da Vinci Code' if not more so. I was swept into a mysterious world shrouded in conspiracy theories, deep-rooted history and ancient prophecies. The fast-paced, layered plot is something to loose yourself within as you unravel the truth bit-by-bit, reveling in the delights of the perilous backdrop that is so atmospheric. I was taken on the most thrilling journey to the exotic, piquant and vibrant Jerusalem where an ancient evil lies waiting hidden beneath a troubled, divergent civilization.

There is a single manuscript nearly all but forgotten, which contains the key to the greatest, shocking historical secret of all-time...

Sean Ryan and his girlfriend Isabel Sharp are exploring the ancient, mysterious city of Jerusalem when they find themselves drawn into a dangerous game with deadly consequences. Meanwhile in the same city Doctor Susan Hunter was translating an ancient manuscript, until it suddenly disappears without a trace. Behind Lady Tunshuq's Palace in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem the archeologist Max Kaiser is found dead, with murder on the cards now no one is safe...

The sequel to `the Istanbul puzzle' (shortlisted for the Irish crime novel of the year 2012) continues the story from where it left off, by including the square and arrow symbol (that Sean and Isabel discovered within the Museum of Antiquities), in central Cairo near Tahrir square. Against the backdrop of the many Pharaohs, including notably King Tutankhamun's mask, this beautiful story is something that will delight those who enjoy exploration and adventure. The intriguing, fascinating historical elements are wonderful that combined with exciting action for a rollercoaster of a ride make this a splendid story and page-turner. Complete with photographs and information about Jerusalem this is a book dedicated to the city, its culture and is a testimony of the author's accomplished writing ability for he allows you to glimpse beneath the shiny surface and explore the unexpected!

This confident, convincing strong thriller is an undeniably remarkable piece of great writing, that is perfection itself and which I highly recommend. To find the answers to all the secrets and unravel the riddles one must delve deeper into the complexity of the plot, remicent of the detective /archeologist that is longing to explore and uncover so much. This fantastic book is a must-read and one that I cannot praise highly enough, for it unexpectedly surprised and overwhelmed me!

*I won a copy through a `GoodReads, First-Read' giveaway. I would like to thank the author, as I concider myself to be extremely privileged to have had this opportunity*
1555803
"In a thrilling masterwork that will make you rethink your perceptions of life and death, "New York Times" bestselling author James Rollins takes you to the edge of medicine, genetics, and technology, revealing the next evolutionary leap forward: immortality--a horrifying truth that is locked inside the "Bloodline"

Galilee, 1025. Infiltrating an ancient citadel, a Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure long hidden within the fortress's labyrinth: the Bachal Isu--the staff of Jesus Christ--a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever.

A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht off the coast of the Horn of Africa, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for the covert rescue mission into the African jungle--for the woman is no rich tourist; she's Amanda Gant-Bennett, the daughter of the U.S. president."

Absolutely brilliant! I would expect nothing less from James Rollins!!
Amazed at how well drawn each character is- even those I met in earlier books- new insights into them- What can I say? I am quite simply loving this book!!! - As I have all other James Rollins' books
TOP-NOTCH

FINAL REVIEW

If anyone questions why James Rollins is one of the most popular novelists today, they need go no further than reading Blood Line, Mr. Rollins latest Sigma Force novel.

As with all his previous books, Blood Line is spot on with all the key elements that go into producing a truly immersive reading experience.
Supremely written characters, tense and taut dialogue and varied locations- all perfectly put to page by a master storyteller!

Blood Line has the type of plot that will resonate with the reader long after the last page is read.  Beginning in 1025 in Galilee, the reader is treated to terrific historical facts- Mr. Rollins' research is to be greatly admired as the pages devoted to the Knights Templar - vital to the overall plot- read like the best of historical fiction.

As this is a Sigma Force novel- the action and characters burst off the page and whisk the reader on a voyage to several lands- from Washington, DC to Somalia to Dubai- I was enthralled the entire way!
What a wonderful feeling it is to have characters who have become "old friends" accompany me on the Journey.  Starting with Gray Pierce, Commander of Sigma Force, the type of hero who is both heroic and human, and also one of the most original recurring characters in novels. The reader is also thrilled to meet the other Members of Sigma Force again. Painter Crowe, Kat, and Monk are back and how wonderful to be reunited with them.  Kowalski is a truly rollicking character- with his unique...to say the least personality- TERRIFIC! We are also treated to other characters that make a great impact- especially Former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his magnificently endearing and intelligent military dog, Kane! Love Kane!

I should make a STRONG POINT here, while there are recurring characters - each of James Rollins' Sigma Force novels are stand alone books - so if you have not read any of the previous- this is a great book to start with! I am quite confident that you will be inspired to read the earlier- also top-notch books in this most superb of series.

The action scenes are finely tempered with the human interaction parts to form a perfectly balanced reading experience. Note must also be made of the exceptional drawnings sprinkled throughout the book - they are simply the cherry on top of an unforgetable reading experience- James Rollins continues to demonstrate quite vividly why he is so well loved by millions of readers - Blood Line is another Sigma Force Grand Slam!!

AN OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ

RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER/MODERATOR
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB