Ghost Image : A Novel

Book Description

The last thing plastic surgery resident Jackson Maebry wants at the end of a long day in the operating room is a call to the ER. Once he gets there, what he finds is worse than his most hellish imaginings: a young woman, beaten and burned almost beyond recognition, a trauma case as terrible as any he has ever seen. What Jackson's colleagues don't know is that the victim, Allie, is actually his lover.

With Allie in a coma, Jackson keeps their relationship quiet and takes part in her reconstruction, a complicated and grueling set of procedures that only the most skilled specialists can perform. But as he and the other doctors struggle to put her back together, the fractures in Jackson's own life begin to break apart dramatically. When the San Francisco Police Department's investigation of the attack leads to his door, Jackson knows the truth can no longer be suppressed.

Ghost Image is an expertly plotted, chillingly vivid, and wholly absorbing mystery, signaling the debut of an unforgettable new voice in the genre. Taking readers inside the operating room and literally under the skin of its patients, it's a story that will appeal to those fascinated by medicine and forensics. It is also a story -- like all classic crime novels -- about guilt and innocence, good and evil. But, above all, it is a story of love -- the kind of love that might prove deadly, or that might just save your soul.

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"The last thing plastic surgery resident Jackson Maebry wants at the end of a long day in the operating room is a call to the ER. Once he gets there, what he finds is worse than his most hellish imaginings: a young woman, beaten and burned almost beyond recognition, a trauma case as terrible as any he has ever seen. What Jackson's colleagues don't know is that the victim, Allie, is actually his lover. With Allie in a coma, Jackson keeps their relationship quiet and takes part in her reconstruction, a complicated and grueling set of procedures that only the most skilled specialists can perform. But as he and the other doctors struggle to put her back together, the fractures in Jackson's own life begin to break apart dramatically. When the San Francisco Police Department's investigation of the attack leads to his door, Jackson knows the truth can no longer be suppressed. Ghost Image is an expertly plotted, chillingly vivid, and wholly absorbing mystery, signaling the debut of an unforgettable new voice in the genre. Taking readers inside the operating room and literally under the skin of its patients, it's a story that will appeal to those fascinated by medicine and forensics. It is also a story -- like all classic crime novels -- about guilt and innocence, good and evil. But, above all, it is a story of love -- the kind of love that might prove deadly, or that might just save your soul. "

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!!! Look out for Joshua Gilder!!!!.......2004-05-22

This book was phenominal!I loved The plot and I recommend it to all readers.The story was so suspensful. Every library should have this book! Look out for Joshua Gilder!!He has written another book called Heavenly Intrigue and it is on my top three!!Please write another book!

library worthy.......2003-07-15

read a library copy but i intend to buy one for my library, it's that good. one's interest is kept throughout the book as gilder keeps throwing in twists to keep you wondering which way the story is heading. this book is up there with the best.

Graphic but gripping.......2003-07-13

When Plastic surgeon Jackson Maebry is called to attend an emergency, he finds to his horror that the battered and burned young woman is his lover, Allie.A frantic race begins to save her life and to literally piece her back together.After other surgeons have mended her broken bones and skin, Jackson begins to do massive reconstruction on her face, having to peel it back and start from the beginning.He discovers that she'd had facio cranial surgery years before from the almost invisible scars in her bones.This is a story for those readers who enjoy medicine and forensics--sometimes rather gruesome but always compelling reading.

Entertaining and suspenseful.......2003-05-30

Fairly decent thriller about a plastic surgeon called to the ER one night when a severely burned and beaten woman is brought in. Though her face is mangled, he quickly realizes she is Allie, his lover. He manages to save her, but she is left in a coma for months while the police department searches for clues about what might have happened to her.

When she finally wakes, she doesn't remember what happened. And though Jackson stays by her side, his love for her never faltering, Allie soon becomes obsessed about her appearance -- and about the fact her boyfriend and his boss have the tools and the skills to fix her face. Her obsession turns deadly -- and so does, in some ways, Jackson's own obsession. With her.

All in all, a pretty original medical thriller. But this is Gilder's first novel and it really shows. The writing is good -- solid and well-developed. But, to put it simply, there's just too much of it. Which isn't the same thing as saying the novel is too long (although, that too), but more that sometimes sentences, paragraphs, or even whole chapters are superfluous. And, after awhile, I started skimming a bit. I wanted to find out what happened next, but was quickly becoming bogged down by the unnecessary parts. Still, ten times better than anything Robin Cook has put out in the last decade. Fans of the genre won't be disappointed.

Bizarre tale of twisted psyches and perverted love........2003-04-25

Joshua Gilder's first novel, "Ghost Image," is a strange amalgam. It is part medical mystery, part psychological thriller, and part crime novel. Unfortunately, these disparate elements do not come together to form a satisfying whole.

The hero of "Ghost Image" is Jackson Maebry, a promising young plastic surgeon and protégé of the brilliant and successful Dr. Peter Brandt. Jackson's girlfriend, Allie Sorosh, is a beauty with a mysterious past whom Jackson has asked to be his wife. Allie puts Jackson off, and they have a terrible quarrel. Soon thereafter, Allie is admitted to the hospital in a coma, after being brutally beaten and burned almost to death. Who did this to Allie and why? Will Allie be able to recover from her horrible wounds, both external and internal? To make matters worse, the police begin to suspect that Jackson may have attacked Allie in a fit of rage.

Gilder does a wonderful job with the medical elements in this novel. The information about how a plastic surgeon does his work is detailed and fascinating. The psychological elements are less expertly handled. The characters of Jackson, Allie and Brandt are muddled and they become more so as the novel progresses. Gilder's plot starts out promisingly, but it lapses into implausibility as the book reaches its melodramatic climax. "Ghost Image" had potential, but Josha Gilder ultimately does not succeed in delivering the goods.

Average customer rating:

Didn't want it to end...

check this book out!

What a great book, Marffin Shines

This book is great for anyone who likes vampire stories!

Kiss Of Death

Manufacturer: Design Image Group Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1891946056

Book Description

They lurk among the shadows in grimy city alleys, they reveal themselves amidst humanity's own man-made horrors, they rise from the darkness in fog shrouded forests, they may even hide in the house right next door, sitting there beside us, mirroring our strangest dreams and our most terrifying nightmares, weaving their dark magic of sin and lust and delicious violence, just waiting to embrace us with their kiss of madness...their kiss of dark desire...their kiss of death.

Customer Reviews:

Didn't want it to end..........2001-11-14

Fabulous writting, great storys......keep you wanting more

check this book out!.......1999-06-21

This books has all of the stories a vampire fanatic could want, Lots of new topics and good stories, they arent hard to get into. Do read this book!

What a great book, Marffin Shines.......1999-05-20

Design Image seems to have another damn fine book on their hands in this sophomore effort for Vampire Anthologies. All I have to say, if for no other reason, buy this book for Kyle Marffin's story, it by far outshines the other tales, which is no easy effort mind you. Read this book, then go back, and read The Darkest Thirts, and if you get hooked on Marffin, like I have, get Carmilla: The Return.

This book is great for anyone who likes vampire stories!.......1999-02-03

This book is great for anyone who likes vampire stories! It is also great if you don't like reading the same story the whole time! It has many different authors that have written great stories of vampires that are fat,are in love with a mortal(human), and even vampires that want to have a baby!

Average customer rating:

Maybe you shalt not worship them, but it certainly isn't a sin to read them.
Fantatic
Well writen stories about morals everyone can use
This book was Graven Images was good!
A Very Good Book

Graven Images
Paul Fleischman
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763627755
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Book Description

Paul Fleischman spins three engrossing stories about the unexpected ways an artist's creations reveal truths - tales whose intriguing plots and many moods will entertain readers and inspire future writers.

Can wood, copper, or marble communicate? They can if they are the graven images in Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman's trio of eerie, beguiling short stories. If you whisper a secret into a wooden statue's ear, will anyone find out? Can a wobbly weathervane bearing the image of Saint Crispin, the patron saint of shoemakers, steer a love-struck apprentice toward the girl of his dreams? And if a ghost hires a sculptor to carve a likeness of him holding a drink to a baby's lips, what ghastly crime might lie behind his request? And, in a brand-new afterword, the acclaimed storyteller reveals how he found his own author's voice.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe you shalt not worship them, but it certainly isn't a sin to read them........2005-11-07

Paul Fleischman has had a long luxurious career as a children's author. But before he published "Graven Images" back in 1982, he probably could not have predicted how well he'd someday be received by the literary community at large. At that time, he'd only written two books: "The Birthday Tree" and "Half-a-Moon Inn". If you've ever read more than one Paul Fleischman book then you know that he loves to make wildly different kinds of stories. One day he'll make a book of poetry meant to be read aloud by two voices. The next day he's suddenly come out with a book pairing the Trojan War with 9/11. Turn around again and you've found yourself face-to-face with a wholly original picture book about a boy creating his own unique civilization. Blink twice in a row and the picture book is entirely wordless and about the circus, but involving shadows. Reading through "Graven Images" now, you definitely get a hint of great Fleischmanish things to come. With nods to Roald Dahl's adult tales, old fairy tales about boys named Jack, and ghostly visitations, this is one Newbery Honor book that deserves another turn in the public spotlight.

Split into three short stories, each tale in this book involves "graven images" in one way or another. The first story, "The Binnacle Boy", starts when a woman discovers that her son's ship, the one he was sailing away on, has floundered in the harbor. It's crew? All dead and not a clue to be found. Hoisted from the deck is a statue of a sailor called a Binnacle Boy. Only it may know the reason the crew has died, but its mouth doesn't say a word. It's only when a small deaf girl with the ability to read lips discovers the true murderer that the story reaches a shocking but not entirely unfamiliar ending. "Saint Crispin's Follower" is a far cheerier tale of a star-eyed cobbler's apprentice and his hopeless love for a girl in the town. Thinking the weathervane shaped like Saint Crispin will never lead him wrong, our young foolish hero traipses in and out of calamity to find his heart's desire by the end. "The Man of Influence" is the last and most supernatural of these tales. A sculptor of great men is without a patron and nearly starving when a ghost desires that he carve him a statue of its own likeness. The desperate artist agrees, thinking the ghost to have been a great man in its life. It is only after the commission reaches its close that the sculptor realizes the irony in calling anyone with money "great".

I enjoyed the idea of people either reaching some kind of a comeuppance or just desserts through statuary of one sort or another. Really, that's the only thing these three tales have in common. The first book is like (as I mentioned before) a Roald Dahl mystery. You may not know that it's a mystery as you read it, but by the end it's clear who the true villain is. "Saint Crispin's Follower", on the other hand, is a slapdash comedy of errors. Our hero is like those characters named Jack in the old folktales. He's a fool, but he gets what he wants through sheer dumb luck rather than skill or intelligence. "The Man of Influence" is the hardest story amongst these three to pin down. On the one hand, we seem to be dealing with a creepy tale of murder and buried secrets. On the other, there's a moral to the story that Fleischman doesn't force down the audience's throat. That's all well and good, but it makes for a confusing end. Should you be involved in a children's bookclub of some sort, I highly recommend this third story as an interesting read. It'll get the kids debating why the sculptor did such-n-such for hours on end.

With the newly republished edition of this book, the original illustrations by Andrew Glass have been done away with and replaced with those by John Jude Palencar. I am certain that Mr. Palencar is an adept artist in his own right, but it seems a pity to do away with the particularly creepy pictures that originally accompanied this book. Andrew Glass had an odd vision of the kind of story this was. Drawing pictures that would give even fellow creepy artist Stephen Gammell pause, Mr. Glass imbued those pictures with an odd undercurrent of ickyness. This is most apparent with the picture that accompanies the tale "The Man of Influence". For some reason, the ghost of the tale is pictured here as virtually rotting before our eyes. One hopes that Mr. Palencar will include illustrations of equal horror in this newest edition and not water down the book for contemporary audiences.

I've been attempting to seek out children's books in which statues play an important role. That was sole reason for picking up "Graven Images" from my local library. Now that I've perused it, however, I'm happy to report that it far and beyond exceeded my expectations. If you've a kid that wants to read some scary stories but they don't actually want to read anything TOO scary, this is the book to hand them. An excellent predecessor to Fleischman's later work and a read as good as it is timeless.

Fantatic.......1999-09-24

The 3 stories were all connected in some way. But they are also very diferent,too The author puts a twist at the end.

Well writen stories about morals everyone can use.......1998-12-29

This book was a pleasure to read. It was easy to understand. There was no violence and it had many morals we can all use. For example "don't be 'nitpickey' about things.

This book was Graven Images was good!.......1998-12-18

This book Graven Images was good! In this book there are three stories. My favorite story out of all of these is the "Binnacle Boy". The "Binncle Boy" is about a boy who dies in a ship reck. There are not alot of pictures in my book but I still thought it was a good book.

A Very Good Book.......1998-11-30

This book is very deserving of the Newbery Honor and is one of my favorites.

The Ghosts of Berlin - Images of a Divided City

Average customer rating:

Great Photos and Fascinating History.

The Ghosts of Berlin - Images of a Divided City
Ian, J. Sanders
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1411683765

Book Description

Berlin was at the centre of two world wars and was until 1989 the potential flashpoint for a third. Throughout the city are reminders of it's violent and turbulent past. This large format photo book shows the key locations in its history, as well as some lesser known ones. The book should be of interest to anyone interested in recent European history, as well as tourists to the city, who want to see how Berlin has changed over the years and find locations not in the usual guide books. Visit Berlinphotos.co.uk for more information.

Customer Reviews:

Great Photos and Fascinating History........2006-05-12

I've always been fascinated by the incredible changes that Berlin has experienced especially on the latter half of the 20th century.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and the images do not disappoint - so much so I've also bought the authors other book "Pillboxes - Images of an Unfought Battle".

This photo book shows some remarkable images of some locations I'd never heard of and how the city changed so very quickly after 1989. Very Recommended!

Graven Images: Fifteen Tales of Dark Magic and Ancient Myth

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Some good, some bad
Stories based on magic and myth

Graven Images: Fifteen Tales of Dark Magic and Ancient Myth

Manufacturer: Ace Trade
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Binding: Paperback

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Outsiders : 22 All-New Stories From the Edge

ASIN: 044100766X
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Book Description

In this thrilling new anthology from the editors of In the Shadow of the Gargoyle (cited by Locus as one of the year's best anthologies), today's top fantasy and horror talents take a close look at our distant idols. Ancient gods who faded into history, all that remains are the mortal-made likenesses of their images-sacred relics, holy statues, and hallowed trinkets bearing the images of those fabled gods who ruled over of all creation... Now, at last, the old gods have returned-in these all-new tales of the sacred and profane, the beautiful and grotesque, the loving and vengeful.

Includes stories by:

Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Robert Silverberg
Nebula winner Esther M. Freisner
World Fantasy Award-winner Brian McNaughton, Tanith Lee, and Gene Wolfe
Hugo Award-winner Lawrence Watt Evans
and Other acclaimed authors, including Jack Ketchum, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Storm Constantine, Chelsea Quinn Yarboro, Kathe Koja, and Yvonne Navarro

Customer Reviews:

Some good, some bad.......2003-05-18

I saw this book on the bargain rack and the summary about the old gods so I picked it up. Like any collection, some are good, some didn't hold my interest. Here are some of the good ones.

Diana of the Hundred Breasts- I liked this one. The narrator is on an archeological site with his genius brother, Charlie. Charlie and the narrator unleash the Goddess Diana.

The Face of Sekt- My favorite. It is the story of the goddess Sekt who has to wear a mask to conceal her face. She gets a request to go to the King to heal his son. His son was made ill by a magican, who was really a djinn. It's interesting to hear the story from an actaal goddess.

The Goddess Danced- I LOVe this one. Meena is from a Hindu family and her mother, who died during the birth of her younger sister Abha, never neglected the Brahmin rites. Some boys torutre Meena by throwing acid on her face so she has to marry this blind man. The family is mean to her and forces her to beg. I won't give away the ending but the moral is that every woman has a goddess inside of her and should not be mistreated.

Heart of Stone- A magician's house is sacked and he is killed. There is a "woman" in a stone that is left behind- she is some kind of spirt. She is trapped in there and is forced to lip read fortunes for another untruthful man, who wants money.

The Eleventh City- A story in the form of a letter. The narrator s in the little town of San Marcos del Lago and he talked to a man who had an interesting story. There was a pig who couldn't die so it brought bad luck where ever it went.

Cora- About a man named Edward Brown who had a manticore named Cora. His Great Aunt Irene took his inheritance and gave it to a man he never knew named Herbert. They become friends, more than freinds and then Herbert decides to leave him. Lets just say a manitcore can't stand the betrayal of the one it loves most.

Shaped Stones- About a boy Teru and his younger siblings, Baisil and Lexa. He gives up his heart and becomes a tool of a man to ensure his safety.

Wanderlust- You know the Hawaiian hula girl in the car? Well what happens if she doesn't want to part with you?

giottas Window- A man, Thomas Ashen, realizes he has a beak and other people have trunks or beaks but no one believes him. He is taken to an asylum by Jane but and she realizes that she sees them too.

Stories based on magic and myth.......2001-02-13

Graven Images presents short stories of dark fantasy by such classic writers as Robert Silverberg, Gene Wolfe, Tanith Lee and others, gathering stories based on magic and myth and providing satisfyingly diverse plots and settings. Any who want to receive a collection strong in characterization and diverse in dark fantasy setting will find this an excellent leisure choice.

Titanic Ghosts of the Abyss (Illistrated With More Than Thirty-Five 3-D images)

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Titanic Ghosts of the Abyss (Illistrated With More Than Thirty-Five 3-D images)

Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0439589185

Product Description

Grade 4-8-Although the mania for all things Titanic has faded, questions about the ship's present state continue to fascinate, and to provide fodder for reports. Unlike most books, which cover the history of its construction and doomed maiden voyage, this title focuses on the discoveries accomplished by small underwater robots developed by director James Cameron and his brother Mike (and is a tie-in to Cameron's recent 3-D film of the same name). Every page is nearly filled with impressive 3-D photographs and artist's renderings, making this a showcase for images captured by the robots small enough to explore parts of the ship that larger exploratory equipment could not reach. Use of a special (and likely to be lost) 3-D viewer is required to avert a sense of vertigo when looking at some of the images. The photographs of the ship's present state are shown side by side with pictures from the ship's construction, allowing readers to see the bronze propellers buried in the sea floor but still largely uncorrupted by deep-sea bacteria, compared with their pristine condition in 1914. It is a truly impressive achievement to explore the wreckage so fully, and the photos are a suitably haunting memorial to the lives lost. Still, the gimmickry and the lack of anything truly new to say about the disaster make this a supplemental purchase for most libraries. For more substantive assignment information, look to Simon Adams's Titanic (1999) and Eric Kentley and Steve Noon's Story of the Titanic (2001, both DK). Sophie R. Brookover, Mount Laurel Library, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Average customer rating:

Good book!
Angel discovers a whole new dimension to the art of painting
Totally Awesome!
Six Hours I'll Never Get Back
Image

Image (Angel)
Mel Odom
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743427505

Book Description

Even if it takes an eternity, he will make amends....

Picture Perfect

Cordelia has a vision of a young child being attacked by a squid-like demon at the same time that Gunn is rescuing a young artist whose studio has been attacked by vampires. When Cordelia goes to investigate the mansion of her vision, she finds herself surrounded by baby products, portraits...and chased by a many-tentacled monster.

When Angel arrives on the scene, he's shocked to discover that he recognizes some of the subjects of the portraits. Distant memories of a night spent with storytellers Mary and Percy Shelley recall an artist Darla, his longtime paramour and partner in crime, once favored. But can that artist still be alive today?

An ancient evil is using a painting to keep its body alive and intact, and in the meantime is preying on a child. In the process of saving the child, Cordelia, Angel, Gunn, and Wesley are going to learn -- the hard way -- that looks aren't everything.

Customer Reviews:

Good book!.......2002-11-09

I am a huge fan of Gunn so that was one of the main reasons that I bought the book. It was really good and keep me wanting to read. It was a very good book for all those who like Angel books.

Angel discovers a whole new dimension to the art of painting.......2002-08-21

Reading "Image" so soon after having read Mel Odom's previous Angel novel "Bruja," might have been a mistake, because I think I was more aware of the structural similarities in the two novels than I might have been otherwise. Not that I have anything against Odom's "formula," which involves starting us out in the middle of a lot of action involving a lot of characters and then having most (but not all) of the subplot come together at the end after a significant and usually impressive revelation. But this time around there was a bit too much going on in the beginning to suit my taste.

The prologue also violates the time/space rule, which states (and I am paraphrasing here), that a prologue must represent a very different time and place from the first part of the novel. But in chapter 2 we go back and cover some of the same time frame from the end of the prologue. Usually Odom does a good job of juggling all of the various plot lines in his novels, but this time around I found myself wanting to get back to one particular plot line, so the scene switches were something of an intrusion. Once we get past the first act and everybody has a chance to catch up on the big picture, things proceed briskly apace.

The story focuses on Faroe Burke, a young painter about to have her first big art show who suddenly discovers that a bunch of demons have been hired to capture her, although why anyone would be interested in a former graffiti artist trying to turn legit becomes one of the driving questions of the novel. Meanwhile, Angel stumbles across a blast from his past, Gabriel Dantz, a painter who did a portrait of Darla several hundred years ago, which leads to the question as to how Gabriel happens to still be alive. However, the big question is what do these two painters have in common. One of Odom's strengths has been his creation of new characters for his stories, and I almost wish that Faroe Burke and Gabriel Dantz did not have to compete for time in this particular story.

"Image," despite the emphasis on painting, actually makes better use of horror literature than the vast majority of Angel/Buffy books. There is a reference to the work of H. P. Lovecraft and the celebrated weekend when Lord Byron hosted Percy Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and John Polidori in Geneva and suggested they write some horror stories become a pivotal subplot in the novel.

Characterizations involving the cast from Angel are especially problematic because there have been some significant growth spurts in that regard. Angel has certainly lightened up, Wesley is no longer comic relief, and Cordelia is nowhere near as self-absorbed as before. Then again, there is really no sense of when "Image" takes place in terms of the history of the television series given the sparsity of clues (Kate out, Host in, no Darla in the present) and that makes it difficult to say the characterizations are outdated because the obvious response is that the story takes place when they are not. I think part of it is that I really like the changes that we have seen in Wesley and Cordelia (ironically, it is the new and improved Angel I am least certain about).

Finally, one more oddball complaint. Usually my complaint is that when we get to the big secret in one of these novels it is not particularly impressive and often is just a means to bring about a happy ending relatively quickly. But with Odom his revelations are usually really good and I find myself wishing they had been revealed earlier in the novel so that they could be explored more in the context of the story. Certainly, that is what I was thinking while reading the last act of "Image," which is another above average original novel from Odom, a man who somehow manages to sometimes put too much into his Angel/Buffy books.

Totally Awesome!.......2002-07-13

This is the best of the Angel novels by far. I couldn't stop reading. The plight of Gabriel and Jacob was heartwrenching, especially the ending. It brought me to tears. You have to totally suspend your imagination. Which shouldn't be hard if you're already a fan of the T.V. show. Angel and the gang were fantastic. I highly recommend this novel.

Six Hours I'll Never Get Back.......2002-06-27

Yeah, that's about how much time I wasted on yet another sub-par Angel tie-in novel. Six hours of my life, flushed down the drain. Which is where this manuscript should have gone.

This novel concerns two artists. One is a modern grafitti artist by the name of Faroe Burke. She has recently gained success in the world of professional art. She is also being chased by demons and saved by Gunn.

The other artist painted a portrait of Darla in 1815. Yet he is still alive in modern Los Angeles, and connected to a child that Angel, Wesley and Cordelia are trying to save. Suffice to say the artists share a connection that is only revealed late in the book.

If this sounds interesting, let me say that it could be, in the hands of a more talented scribbler. Unfortunately, Odom first takes us through a dull sub-plot about the Angel Investigations crew working for a blackmailed movie studio. Odom turns this into an excuse to throw Gunn, Angel and Wesley and Cordelia into three seperate fight scenes. Including the build up, these scenes last through one third of the book. Only then do we find out even a hint of what the primary plot will be.

Worse than this is the way Odom can't seem to get any of the character's voices down. In Image, Gunn suddenly spouts off facts about demons, Wesley-style. Cordelia is notably lacking in clever quips. Angel is flat. Not brooding or dark, just flat.

Most of the problems raised in the novel could easily be solved if the characters were half as clever and witty as they are each week on the TV show. Unfortunately, they seem to have suffered major lobotomies. An example: Cordelia is cornered by a demon when her cell phone rings, almost alerting the beastie. She hangs up, but doesn't think to TURN OFF THE PHONE SO IT WON'T RING AGAIN! When Angel calls back two minutes later, she's discovered by the critter.

The element that really had me grinding my teeth was the flashback portrayals of Darla and Angelus. These two, the premier psychopaths of the vampire world, seem to be trying to talk their victims to death. Odom also squanders the opportunity to include a subplot with Lord Byron. The famous poet remains off screen.

Throw in a badly-defined villain (Ooooh! He wants to rule the world! How original!) and an ending so saccharine and syrupy you could feed it to hummingbirds, and my biggest regret is that I can't give this book a negative rating.

If you must have a fix of Angel over the summer hiatus, read Shakedown by Don DeBrandt. It isn't perfect, but he has the character's voices almost perfect and comes up with several cool plot devices.

Image.......2002-06-25

"Image" was a great book with lots of detail. It had all the stories of evey character when they faced evil, and when they were emotional. I couldn't put it down, every time I started to read, I just could never stop. This book lasts a while too, unlike some of the small good for a short period books that are going on the market. I reccomend this book to anyone who likes suspence, and good books

Ghost trails to California: With selected excerpts from emigrant journals (Images of America series)

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Ghost trails to California: With selected excerpts from emigrant journals (Images of America series)
Thomas H Hunt
Manufacturer: American West Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0910118566

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Dissapointing! Not "provocative" at all, OR erotic!
'Provocative' may not be the right word
An all around great book
Recommended reading for fans of the horror fantasy genre
A Fine Vampire Anthology

The Darkest Thirst: A Vampire Anthology
Design Image Group Inc
Manufacturer: Design Image Group Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1891946005

Amazon.com

The Darkest Thirst (put together by an unnamed editorial committee) is an anthology of 16 original vampire tales. They're organized under five subheadings. The first, Dark Histories, are stories set in the past, ranging from a pregnant vampire at the time of the Norman Conquest to a World War II story about soldiers in the Balkan Mountains. Edo van Belkom, a 1998 Bram Stoker winner, contributes a well-researched tale that asks "What if?" about Rasputin and his famous resistance to being murdered.

The second, Obsessions, contains a clever cyberspace tale in which TepesAllure and Raven meet each other in a chat room. The best in the collection is "Waiting for the 400" by Kyle Marffin, author of Carmilla: The Return. In this classic noir love story set in the 1950s, a sultry gal with dark red hair and a sleeveless dress to match gets off the train from Chicago and walks right into the heart of the man who runs the rural depot in northern Wisconsin. The outcome of their encounter is ambiguous, lingering in the reader's mind like an old blues song.

The third, The Hunted, features three action tales about vampires and those who pursue them. The fourth, Redemption, offers a heady dose of Catholicism, as nuns and priests both test and find faith in their encounters with the undead.

The fifth, Arts & Letters, has two tales about the aesthetic dimension of the vampire experience. Robert Devereaux's "Nocturne A Tre in B-Double-Sharp Minor" is a beautifully imagined variation on the erotic possibilities of a conductor's talent, and Deborah Markus's "For the Love of Vampires" finishes off the anthology with a witty, self-referential meditation on what authors who write about vampires really want.

Some of the stories are a bit predictable--black velvet cloaks, fog-shrouded mountain passes, the blood hunger burning in the veins--but the prose is rarely off-key. The Darkest Thirst is a classy and satisfying anthology. --Fiona Webster

Book Description

Sixteen tales of the undead's darkest thirsts...and darkest desires. Eerie, thought provoking stories by some of the genre's finest writers and emerging new talents, including Robert Devereaux, Edo van Belkom, William R. Trotter, Rick R. Reed, Barb Hendee, Margaret Carter, Sue Burke, Scott Goudsward, d.g.k. goldberg, Thomas J. Strauch, Michael Arruda, Kyle Marffin, Paul McMahon, Deborah Markus, Julie Anne Parks and Stirling Davenport.

Customer Reviews:

Dissapointing! Not "provocative" at all, OR erotic!.......2007-09-25

Yawn. I was expecting SO much more with the way the publisher advertises this book.Not nasty or erotic horror like I was expecting. Quite boring.

'Provocative' may not be the right word.......2005-02-23

If you are thinking they are using the word 'provocative' in a sexual way you'll find this book quite disappointing. Except for a few stories that cross slightly into the 'adult' areas, for example a nun describing the first time a priest put his hand up her skirt, this book is instead simply entertaining. The stories are well written and do not keep to a certain environment or time frame making each story unique and different than all the others.

All in all I'd say this is an excellent anthology that skips over the 'extreme sex and violence', which is becoming quite common in many of today's vampire books.

I'll certainly be giving it a second read in the future.

An all around great book.......2003-12-05

The book The Darkest Thirst was an amazing book. The thing I like about it the most was the fact that it was a collection of stories and didn't have one specific author. I find I liked that a lot because then you never know what the next story is going to be like. Most books about vampire that I have read have their low and high spots, where this book was totally interesting from beginning to end due to the fact of the different authors. IF you are a lover of vampire novel like myself you probably have a certain "kind" of vampire story you like. This book is divided five sections: Dark Histories, Obsessions, The Haunted, Redemption, and Arts and Letters. Each section has its strong and weak stories. A few example of the strong ones that I liked where "Waiting for the 400" about a female who convinced her obsessed lover to kill someone who she claimed was a vampire, when it turns out SHE was the vampire. One of the weak stories in my opinion was "Before a Fall" about a mother who was attached by vampires and kill the leader to save her son.

All in all, the book was really well written. I think the variety between the different stories of this book is what made it what it is. You can buy this book to read it for a specific section or read it all and enjoy every minute of it. I was high pleased with this book and I think everyone else will be.

Recommended reading for fans of the horror fantasy genre.......2003-03-08

The Darkest Thirst: Sixteen Provocative Tales Of The Undead is an horrific anthology of vampire stories, filled from cover to cover with chilling tales of evil desires, bloodlust, yearning, savagery, and the vileness lurking within stages of history and seeming propriety. A darkly enrapturing read from Margaret L. Carter's "Merry" to Deborah Markus' "For The Love of Vampires", The Darkest Thirst is very highly entertaining and recommended reading for fans of the horror fantasy genre in general -- and vampire tales in particular.

A Fine Vampire Anthology.......2002-01-06

This is a pretty good vampire anthology, with a collection of stories that range from the "fantastic! this is why I read these books!" to "really strange, but pretty good, I guess." Some of the highlights were "Before A Fall," "Waiting for the 400," and "The Alberscine Vigil." A few others were not quite as good ("The Debauched One" and "On Line" come to mind). The final story, "For the Love of Vampires," wraps up this anthology nicely. The stories are all a good length, long enough to be fully developed, short enough to be still considered "short stories." All in all, I was quite satisfied with this collection.

Average customer rating:

Image
Michael Scott
Manufacturer: Time Warner Books UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 074740884X

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