truly well written and fun to read - the first half
585071
Damrosch's writing is enlightening and entertaining but - the story fizzles after Swift heads to Ireland for good.  Perhaps this is not the fault of the author, though.  Certainly, the earlier years are well written
1920500
I downloaded this book for free, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have been sold on it.  It is a Christian book but definitely not preachy.  The conversions are a bit dramatic though- one of them in particular was pretty tough to swallow, unless you can believe people completely change overnight.  Which I tend to not believe, but whatever it's fiction.

This book started off really really great.  I was enjoying the first half immensely with the introduction of the main characters who were so colorful and very fun.  I loved their interactions.  After about the first half, I thought the book stalled a little.  There wasn't much drama going on because by that point the 4 ladies had pretty much shared their stories, and I was just wondering where the book was going.  It finished fairly strong, and I won't give a spoiler but I thought the author did a good thing at the end with resolving some of the problems the characters faced but not by making the problems magically disappear.  I was worried that might happen, but the author kept it "real".

Anyway, I recommend it for free, or maybe $1, but I don't think I'd pay much over maybe $2.  There's just too many decent books in this genre.
73294
There are some good things about this book. It gets off to a fast, pretty exciting start, and there's a prolonged period of wandering for the main character early on that engaged me rather than boring me. And the author exhibited a great sense of timing by ending that wandering just when I felt like the story needed to transition out of it. So that was good. The author does have an elegant writing style, and some descriptions and quotes into the nature of characters are pretty insightful and unique. The dragon species is given a lot of treatment in depth, and is quite fascinating at times.

But there were many things I didn't really like. I was pretty surprised to find some sloppy mistakes. First of all, there are quite a bit of typos (for example, "It felt good so see Hieba's smile" on page 257, "Does he have an signet?" on page 275, "it's approaches are thick with elves" on page 283, and the Wyrmmaster's character is spelled "Wrymmaster" on page 349). Second of all, the author seems to break some of his own devices. The book begins with an explanation that a dragon's name before his first flight puts the accent on the first syllable, then after his first flight, the accent shifts to the second syllable. So the protagonist is "Auron" before his first flight and becomes "AuRon" after it. Yet, after the protagonist's actual first flight, the author refers to him as "AuRon" once and then "Auron" the next two times. Then it seems to switch back to "AuRon" permanently, but a few "Auron"s still sneak in here and there throughout the rest of the book. It's just sloppy.

But here's where sloppiness can screw up a reader's place in the story. When AuRon infiltrates the villainous Wyrmmaster's island, he tells them all that his name is NooShoahk to hide his true identity. Then on page 316, the Wyrmmaster softly says to him, "What is your vision, AuRon?" I thought, "Whoah, the Wyrmmaster knows his true identity!" Nope...just a mistake in the book. That's not really acceptable.

From a more general perspective of the narrative, relationships are formed between the protagonist and secondary characters, but they don't last long enough or develop enough depth to matter when they break or end. Some of them just seem like devices to fulfill the "hero makes friends throughout journey" cliche -- they didn't really advance Auron's character or story in a significant way. And who are the main villains and antagonists? It seems like it depends on which page range you're reading. I believe the narrative suffers from not having a persistent antagonist or antagonist group throughout the book.

I guess the most damning comment I can make is that I reached a point in about the middle of the book when I couldn't really wait to just be finished with the book and move onto my next one. It's hard to recommend a book to others when you feel that way about it.
1500465
I loved the beginning of the story - the first half as it was very touching and beautifully written.  I feel the story lost its way after the first half and I can't understand why the author would spend so much time on characters such as Reds father and mother when they weren't a big part of the story line.  The ending was disappointing.
2665593
This book was on several "Best Books of 2004" lists. I started it in December of 2005 and couldn't get into it, then picked it up again in August to give it another go. It got rave reviews on Amazon. I have mixed feelings about it. While I'd give it five stars for concept, the writing bothered me quite a bit.

The part-time narrator, Andrew, has a multiple personality disorder. Like many MPDs, these multiple personalities (souls) have been created as a defense mechanism to shield him from traumatic childhood memories. To give order to his disorder, with the help of a therapist, he has constructed in his mind a house where the souls can all live in peace.  It's a well-run community until he meets another MPD, Penny, who doesn't have such control over her multi-faceted psychology. While Andrew does his best to help Penny come to terms with her own situation, circumstances conspire to bring his own house tumbling down and stir up the painful memories that led to his multiple personality disorder in the first place.

The concept of the book is fantastic. The architecture of the mental house and the way it works are wonderfully imaginative. And the way the characters work together to weave the story is fantastic. Dozens of distinct characters are housed in two bodies, and as the story gets rolling, it's character chaos--you never know which soul is going to take over either body next. The narrative often stops suddenly, mid-sentence, because the narrator has been pushed out by another of the souls. This leaves large gaps in the story that are filled in later from a different perspective. It's a really interesting technique. I wish Ruff had pushed it further and used it more.

Now for the bad stuff. The dialogue, I thought, is particularly bad, with too many "Um"s "Well..."s and "Huh?"s--unnecessary filler. There are some odd choices of what to cover in scene vs what to cover with simple exposition, too much over-explanation, and a lot that could have benefited from another editing pass. As for the plot, I thought it had potential but devolved into a sort of Scooby-Doo-esque mystery at the end, with a lot of explaining that wraps everything up very nicely. The resolution, some fairly hokey plot twists, and lackluster dialogue really weigh down what could have been a fantastic book.
608814
If the entire book had been written like the first half I'd have given this book 5 stars without hesitation.  Unfortunately, as others have observed, when he got to the Modern World Rick blew it.

The book is subtitled "History and Art for the Traveler."  For the first 2/3rds or so of the book Rick stuck to the subject and the information was great.  A wonderful overview of the early history of Europe and the evolution of art and architecture from ancient Egypt up until WWI.  You don't get a lot of details, but as an overview it is well-written and fascinating.  Just the sort of background that a traveller needs to really appreciate what he is seeing.

Once he got past WWI, though, it seems that Rick just couldn't stop himself from tossing in his personal political observations.  Of course, politics and history are closely tied, so some political information is useful and necessary to understanding history.  Good historians always include some political information.  Sadly, Rick does not provide us with some political information.  What he does is infuse all too many passages with his personal politics.  At one point he includes a several-pages long dissertation that is nothing but a political rant--completely out of place in a book that is SUPPOSED to be about history and art for the traveller!

My other complaint about the book is that in some ways he is a bit of an art snob.  He basically says that you don't have a right to criticize art if you don't understand it.  He offers an analogy, saying that you can't appreciate the beauty of a '56 Chevy if you don't know a Volvo from an Edsel.  I'm sorry, but that is simply not true.  It is quite easy to have a deep appreciation for a '56 Chevy without know anything about Volvos or Edsels, or any other cars for that matter!

If no other car had ever existed, the '56 Chevy Belair would still be a thing of beauty.  And you most certainly don't need to know anything about engines or transmissions to see that.

Having offered my complaints, I still give it three stars, because there is still a lot of useful information here.  I would read up until the section on the Modern World.  From there, skip to the description of Britain.  Then read the section on art appreciation.

Even with its short-comings I think this book is worth the cover price.  It's a good book.  If Rick had stuck to the subject it would have been a great book.
529216
very enjoyable but did get a little slow towards the middle of the book
4946350
I wanted to give this book 3.5 stars, but we don't get half measures here. I decided to go with 4 because I definitely did not want to drop down to 3.

I loved the first section of this book - The Path Less Traveled - and the last section - Fallen Angel. The main character, Justin, your typical 21st century North American seventeen-year old, is dropped unceremoniously into a new world. He's got to find a way to survive. The author has managed to depict Justin's thoughts, feelings, and actions with a wonderful authenticity. The pacing in the first section is fabulous - a real page turner! I felt drawn right along with Justin at every twist and turn as he attempted to figure out what was going on around him. He needed to get up to speed on a fast-paced timetable if he would survive and cope with a world far different from what he had ever been exposed to.

The end section - Fallen Angel - is intriguing. More than a few loose ends are tied up nicely. The relationship Justin has with his father is explained to the reader. The author has done a great job of only giving us information about Justin's past as we need it and not a second before. Doors are left open for picking up the story of the characters again in a sequel. I certainly felt like I wanted to know what would happen next for Justin.

My only complaint is the number of words spent on describing certain things and events. For example: elaborate descriptions of odd animals with strange names I would never remember. There were also far too many pages dedicated to describing in tiring detail the various fight scenes. Other readers might lap this up, but I admit to barely skimming through those sections.

Over all, I believe the book deserves a read. Skip what doesn't work for you and I think you will find you want to get to the end.
3421892
The writing is terrific in so many ways. Funny, inventive, likable characters. Cabbies and ragamuffin hustlers as heroes along with Chief Inspector Jury and his numerous pals. I enjoyed the book in the beginning as the plot is unwinding and pieces falling into place. Later as the mystery starts concluding, it was not as interesting and seemed to get bogged down, to suspects and motives, which did not make much sense to me. I enjoyed the ride until then very much. The characters are a little formulaic. Most of the men are handsome, most of the women are beautiful, the kids and the cabbies are cute, but it worked for me, for most of the book. It was very close, a little more tightness, editing and it would be a masterwork. I thought the villains need a little fleshing out, but still very good
4961850
Initially I couldn't put this book down because it was so compelling!  Great writing and strong character development. The story told from two perspectives and each was captured perfectly. Unfortunately, for me it lost steam about 80% through. Still a good story worth reading.
199862
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

I struggled with this rating. I was torn between three and four stars so, lets just say this is 3.5 stars?

I would have to say that the writing was what really kept me reading, even though this was the authors first novel, I did enjoy the writing.

I loved the ending and a few bits in the middle but the beginning didn't really work for me. There was a lot of talking and it seemed like it was kind of overwhelmed with different POV changes, I couldn't really keep everything straight.

Also, I didn't really like the fact that the couple didn't even meet until almost more than halfway through the story. I really loved reading about the couple and even though the readers can only spend so much time with them, I was pleasantly surprised at feeling the connection between them. Almost makes it worth the wait.

Im not in love with this book but I did like it. The talking, multiple POV changes and the couple not meeting sooner were really the only problems I had. I would have loved to have more time with Leon and Nancy.

Over all though, its a really, really interesting read with much appreciated facts about China. As soon as the action got going, I really got into it, which is why I struggled with the rating.

If you're interested in a thriller/conspiracy novel with spies, action, a little romance, and a bit of a desire to learn a little about China, I would recommend you pick up this book.
1089864
For the first 300 pages, this is a great book that thoroughly engages you in another world.  While the plot and characters are all well done, the highlight of this book is the author's wonderful depicition of the Congo.  Not only does she do a wonderful job of evoking the setting, but she also skillfully interweaves the historical and political background of the region.  This will be a welcome discovery for most readers.  Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the first two thirds of the book was tempered by the incredibly long resolution.  Without spoinling it for new readers, there is a definite point where the primary plot is resolved.  The rest of the book felt like one big afterword to me.  Yes, I had become invested in the lives of the primary characters, and it was nice to find out what happened to them.  However, the tension and drama of the original storyline was gone.
1728780
I would give 5 stars to the first half of the book, which was brilliantly written and set up a fascinating premise.  The second half deserves two stars, at best.  It can't follow through on what is promised in the beginning, and the story loses its direction and momentum.  It meanders around and can't seem to decide what it's trying to do.  Since the end of a book is more important than the beginning (a strong end can make up for a weak start but not the other way around, in my opinion), I landed on three stars as a fair measure of this book.  But that first half is so great...
1722924
3.5 stars

Niceville is not a nice place nor are its residents.

This book crosses many genres and is incredibly well written. It started off so well that I was completely hooked and then sadly it loses steam for quite a bit. Not to mention the characters. SO MANY CHARACTERS. The story is not a difficult one to read but the amount of characters began to make it quite complicated. There were a few occasions where I debated giving up all together but there would be just that little hook at the end of a chapter that would keep me reading on and I'm glad I did. In fact, I do plan to continue reading the two other books in this trilogy just because I'm curious to see how this all plays out. It has a bit of that Fargo vibe but with supernatural elements.
3788325
After being bored during the first half of the book I started to quit reading; but I am not a quitter.  To my surprise, I enjoyed the second half of the book....some action at last. The author actually writes beautifully. I have  read several books that even I could have done a better job of writing, and I am not a writer. How some have actually sold their book is a mystery to me. But Tan Twan Eng is, in my opinion,  a gifted writer. If I were rating only the first half, I would  have given the book a 1.  On the secong half I would give it a 4.  So I compromised  on the 3. I will try another book by him soon and hope I can come up with a 5.
2719560
CPW is, in the main, a terrific read.  Faber is a master observer and a gifted writer.  CPW is about as evocative -- of time, place, texture, odor -- as a novel gets.  The first half of the book is gripping.  The second half a bit less so.  900 pages are a few too many over which to plot the courses of CPW's handful of characters.  Nonetheless, the characters, storylines, and scenes that inhabit all of CPW are terrific.  Only the end of the novel, abrupt as it is, truly disappoints.  That said, the end of the novel TRULY disappoints: hence 4 stars, not 5.  Even so, CPW is well worth the read.  I would highly (if qualifiedly) recommend it.
233628
I really did enjoy reading this.  The writing was very good, with a minimum of typos.  The plot was really interesting, and I love the well defined characters.  I understand how the sex parts may have been integral in the creation of the heroine; however, I believe the sex scenes were way overdone and took away from the main plot.  In fact, at one point I almost closed the book because I was getting bored with the sex part and really just wanted to find out the solution to the mystery.  Otherwise, I would have given this a 5.