Book Description
A faceless biker gang on a Wild Hunt hurtles young Jacky Rowan into the perilous land of Faerie, where she finds herself hailed as the once-and-future trickster hero the Jack of Kinrowan. In its sequel, Drink Down the Moon, Jacky and the fair folk have been enslaved by the creature who stole the power of the Moon, and it remains to a young fiddler to save them all.
Customer Reviews:
Easy to Read and Only Sometimes Easy to Love (3 1/2 stars).......2006-04-24
Originally written an Charles De Lint's entry into the retold Fairy Tales for Adults series by Terri Windling. A series still (albeit slowly) being written today. _Jack the Giant Killer_ or Jack of Kinrown_ as it was known as in Canada (of course) took the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and set the story in modern day Ottawa, the book was originally released in 1986. De Lint liked the characters and world so much he went onto write a sequel to the novel entitled _Drink Down the Moon_ as unsatisfying second novel.
_Jack the Giant Killer_ follows Jacky Rowan,a thirty-something slacker whom (litterally) stumbles into faery on an emotionally charged drinking binge. After a few hurtful words said to her by her (now ex) boyfriend Will, Jacky goes off on a drinking binge. Shaken to the core by Will, her drinking binge lands her in the citys park where she witnesses something truly horrific carried out by the modern day incarnations of 'The Wild Hunt', a supernatural hunt of celtic legend that was said to include everyone from King Arthur to Odin among its midst. But you thankfully won't find ties to Camelot or Norse Mythology here (perhaps in creatures and beings only).
De Lint follows the usual Urban Fantasy idea that when man came to these shores he brought his gods and mythical beings with him in addition to those that were already here, what we have then in De Lint's world is the two courts of Faery legend, The Seelie and Unseelie courts, the Unseelie court taking dominance as our modern media influences man's belief and thus gives the dark court dominance. This is De Lint's non too subtle snap (at the time anyway) towards a media that was populated by horror movies rather then lighter hearted and fantasy movies. As Jacky becomes intangled in Faery Court politicks, she finds new motivation in life as all the things magical and dangerous that almost any child dreamed off are realized in the faery court. Litterally scared to death of the Unseelie courts, the Laird's (leader of the Seelie Courts) young daughter has been kidnapped and there remains virtually no allies to try and rescue her. So it seems the Unseelie court is destined to win. That is when Jacky Rowan stumbles in, aided by quirky friend Kate (Kate Crackernuts as she's called by the fae) and more then a bit of luck Jacky quickly becomes the Seelie courts only hope as she decends headlong into dangers, intriguing and sometimes magical adventures.
The first novel _Jack The Giant Killer_ is a fun, enteraining if simplistic read. One of the better but not the best reinterpretations of 'Jack and the Beanstalk', Jacky herself never really rises above stock standard hero fair while Kate's quirky and at times snappish and funny fierce friend act at times wears on the reader; but she remains a likeable addition. The other characters that appear in the novel; Eilian, along with Arkan and Finn pass by the reader and leave a decent but not deep enough impression on the reader. Eilian as the standard hottie-faery boy love interest for Jacky never really rises above 'hot man/faery/elf/being' standard character shoved together with Jacky because-the-author-says-so plot device. With exeption to the Gruagagh (perhaps the most intriguing character in the whole novel) the novel passes by in easy pacing and comes to a rather breathless conclusion that almost promised of a future volume which came a few years later in the form of _Drink Down the Moon_. _Jack the Giant Killer_ is a fun and easy read for those starting in Urban fantasy.
_Drink Down the Moon_ is the second novel in the _Jack of Kinrowan_ two book set set in Modern Day Faery inhabited Ottawa. Where the first novel introduces Jacky Rowan and her friend Kate to the world of faery and gives these two thirty something woman a fun and magical (and sometimes dangerous) new lease on life, this novel they are only side characters. Leaving us with rather blank and an un engaging new set of characters that pass before the readers eyes without every really leaving impresssion (nothing other then vivid pink hair and a fiddle is what this reader remembers most about the novel). The story follows Johnny Faw a handsome fiddler player with wonderous gifts that will allow him to aide the realm of Faerie in drawing power from the moon itself in an intricate dance. However dangerous powers want to see that the moons magic is never drawn for Faery and only Johnny with the aide of the beautiful and spritely Jemi Pook can stop it. With only (scattered) help from Kate and Jacky.
While De Lint's writing style is in full beautiful form here, Johnny and Jemi read more like fan created fanfiction characters brought into take attention away from the main characters of the novel. Indeed the novel never really stops reading like well written fanfiction and the novel ends quite suddenly (as the last novel did) leaving the reader closing the book slightly unsatisfied. While De Lint gives us nothing new in the way of the faery courts here, he does give us sort of fun story that doesn't end up sticking in the readers mind. _Drink Down the Moon_ is a dissapointing sequel in what could have been an interesting story with loads of potential. Instead he falls short of the task and while_Jack The Giant Killer_ is the better of the two novels here, it only recieves three stars. For being while fun not all that remarkable or never really rising above stock urban fantasy fair.
Generic Urban Faerie: Not de Lint's Best Work.......2005-05-16
These books ('Jack the Giant Killer' and its sequel 'Drink Down the Moon') introduce the young adult best friends Jacky Rowan and Kate Hazel and chronicle their adventures in the faerie realm of modern Ottawa. In the first book we learn that Jacky, a young blonde woman, is in fact "a Jack," a being blessed by luck. As such she is the only hope of the good Faerie denizens of Ottawa. With a lot of her innate luck, Jacky and Kate and her new Faerie friends kill some giants and save the day.
The books are early works by de Lint (1987 and 1990) and read like rough drafts of such amazing later novels as 'Trader' and 'Someplace to Be Flying'. Both novels together are the same size as de Lint's later single novels. The slim size means that the background and characterization of the later novels is missing here. Jacky and Kate seem to fall into Faerie, and we follow their adventures. None of the humans in these stories seem to be bothered by such mundane things as jobs, histories, families, etc. This makes the characters seem rather two dimensional and flat.
This is not to say that the books aren't good. They are, and are very fun reads, like an action-packed episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or something. But this isn't a book I'd re-read. It's light reading, nothing deep.
I also agree with the reviewer who was aggravated by the fact that it's Jacky's luck that saves the day. She doesn't work for any of her victories, they seem to just happen to her. Also, many of the horrible situations she finds herself in are ones her stupidity and idiocy get her into in the first place. It annoys me that Jacky is the hero since she's blessed by luck, and never punished for the fact she is constantly leading herself, her friends, and even the entire city, into ruin. When it comes to completely sabotaging her own life, Jacky Rowan is a veritable Gilmore Girl. This is a protagonist I'm supposed to admire and relate to? I think not.
P.S. The fact that the half-mortal Jemi Pook in 'Drink Down the Moon' has, as a result of her half-mortal/half-faerie blood, NATURAL PINK HAIR is just embarrassing. It's something a 12-year-old girl would write in a fanfiction dot net story. I don't expect such Fluffy-Bunny-Fantasy from de Lint. This is very much an early work and it shows. However, I've found that every de Lint novel/collection that isn't set in his fictional city of Newford is merely bland fantasy. He only shines when he's writing about Newford. Compare this book to 'Someplace to Be Flying' and you'll see what I mean.
A real treat -.......2004-03-01
"Jack the Giant Killer," the first of the two stand-alone stories in this book, was written for the seemingly ill-fated Fairy Tale series edited by Terri Windling. And it's wonderful, a very fresh take on the old "Jack" fairy tales, in which a puckish and courageous and strangely lucky young man slays giants and performs wonders.
The biggest, first twist is that the Jack is actually Jacky Rowan - a young woman who has just been dumped by her jerk boyfriend and is facing a crisis when she unwittingly crosses into faerie.
This is the best of Charles de Lint's fanstasy Urban Faerie work. Here the world we know lies cheek to jowl with the fantastic realm of faerie. And he makes it work so congruently, it's just great stuff. This is the writing that made his fame.
And it's a great story. Jacky and her pals are loveable, interesting people in fantastic circumstances. There are giants to be dealt with, the Unseelie court to be fought and the laird's daughter to be rescued - all against terrible odds. The pacing is very tight, signature de Lint, and it's literally a story you just can't put down until you read the last word. The second story is pretty good, too.
I'm a great fan of this author, and this is one of my all-time favorites. Five stars and a pat on the back for some excellent story-telling.
Funniest of Lint's books.......2003-01-23
Although this isn't my favorite of Lint's books, it is definitely the funniest one I've ever read as his books aren't normally what you would call a comedy-crossover. Putting together two small books in one convienent cover, this is actually the one I've wished the most for a sequel to. It's a lighter introduction to Lint's world of urban fairie when two young women find themselves catapulted into the fae world without warning. Read it, enjoy it, and then try Moonheart and Greenmantle before you give up and buy all the rest of his books. The only of Lint's books I haven't loved is the short story collections, and only because I find short stories frustratingly well, short.
Magical.......2001-11-02
"Jack the Giant Killer", the first of the two books included in _Jack of Kinrowan_, tells the story of a depressed young woman named Jacky, stunned by her recent breakup, and seeing no point or direction in her life. But one night, she stumbles drunkenly into Faery. Upon hearing that the faery princess of Ottawa has been abducted by the evil Unseelie Court, she volunteers for a rescue mission--despite the fact that every Seelie faery in the city has chickened out and called it a lost cause. She joins forces with some interesting friends, and through luck and resourcefulness, fights the Unseelie Court. Jacky and her best friend, Kate Crackernuts, are wonderful characters, and I was glad to see them in the sequel, _Drink Down the Moon_, the other novel included in this book.
Unfortunately, _Drink Down the Moon_ is a little bit of a letdown after _Jack the Giant Killer_. It's still a three- or four-star book in its own right, but it wouldn't stand very well on its own, and Jacky and Kate have too-small roles. The novel's finest moments are those in which Jacky or Kate or both are present, but in _Drink Down the Moon_, Jacky herself has become the "rescue-fodder", and center stage is taken by characters that fail to engage the reader quite as much. I had hoped to see more of Eilian as well. What I really want is for de Lint to write a third installment, in which Jacky and Kate are prominent again, and perhaps challenge the Seelie Court itself, and ask the Laird a few hard questions--like why he's always out of town when he's needed most.
Book Description
Worship leader Dennis Jernigan opens his heart to help you overcome the persistent problems in your life.
Persistent sins. Troublesome fears. Powerful addictions. Is there any hope of overcoming these giants that keep us from experiencing God’s freedom?
Dennis Jernigan enthusiastically answers, “Yes.” And he shares his personal story to show how God has helped him overcome the giants in his life.
In Giant Killers you’ll meet Goliath and other giants in the Bible that represent overwhelming problems that plague everyone–fear, discouragement, shame, and more. And you’ll discover five God-given “stones” that, when fired from a sling, are sure to fell these giants.
Having overcome homosexuality–a behavior pattern many consider unchangeable–Dennis Jernigan speaks with authority on the subject of defeating spiritual enemies. Through his inspiring devotional approach, you’ll draw closer to God, the source of all power for victory.
Customer Reviews:
Giant Killers by Dennis Jernigan.......2006-02-17
This book was great. Often times we read books that are ok to read once, but this books can be read over and over again. I have found that while talking to others I use references to this book in conversation. This book is great for all types of people, not just those with addictions. If you have the opportunity, read this book!
Fast read/Lasting realizations.......2005-08-29
I have REALLY enjoyed Dennis Jernigan's new book. I had never heard of the man til about a year ago. I was privileged to see/hear him this summer at the Exodus National Freedom Conference. It was truly an beautiful experience. His new book seems to read quickly (short chapters), but hits on very important issues. I would recommend it to everyone.
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- An informative pictorial look at whales ,and dolphins
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Giants of the Sea: Whales, Dolphins, and Their Habits
Gaetano Cafiero ,
Maddalena Jahoda ,
Valeria Manferto , and
Monica Falcone
Manufacturer: Thomasson Grant & Howell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1565660463 |
Customer Reviews:
An informative pictorial look at whales ,and dolphins.......2006-10-27
This book shows the different kinds of whales and dolphins. It also gives detailed information on their present situation including their endangerment. It is a book which clearly aims to be more than a simple illustrative guide but to make the case for protecting these living wonders of nature.
Book Description
The story of Jack, the intrepid boy whose courage and ingenuity defeated a host of many-headed giants, has been told to children for hundreds of years. In 1842, when he was just 18, Richard Doyle, whose natural talent for draftsmanship was matched by imaginative invention and a passion for legend and the grotesque, created a picture-book version of
Jack the Giant Killer, with hand-written text and a watercolor within a pictorial border decorating every page. It has remained one of the most beloved versions of this timeless tale.
In this new Everyman's edition, Doyle's vivid, wonderfully engaging illustrations have been enlarged and the text has been given greater legibility. It is a book that will satisfy both the child's delight in scariness, wonder, and magic, and the collector's pleasure in classic Victorian illustration.
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Imagination with a Taste for the Grotesque. .......2006-04-05
The author Richard Doyle was the son of a political caricaturist who went on to become a very gifted artist in his own right. In addition to working at some famous magazine of the time (called "Punch"), he also did the illustrations for the "Fairy Ring" (1846) which was a collection of newly translated Grimm's Fairy Tales. He combined a wonderful imagination with a taste for the grotesque. In 1842, while still a teenager he took a popular collection of traditional giant tales out of "The Child's Own Book" and retold it with such wonderful illustrations that it turned it into a classic. This is not "Jack and the Beanstalk". There is no magic beans, or golden goose. It's the story of a little boy named Jack and his adventures as he has to fight and kill several giants in some very gruesome ways. I don't know if I'd recommend this book for anyone faint of heart. In most tales he outsmarts the giants. In others he uses special gifts he has obtained, including a Cap of Knowledge, Shoes of Vast Swiftness, a Sword that can cut through anything, and a Coat that turns him invisible. The giants are very mean, and kidnap and eat people, but still for some reason or other, I couldn't help but feel sorry for some of them at times when Jack, who was already so much smarter than the giants, also becomes better equipped than them as well. Towards the end I guess I got the feeling that he had an unfair advantage. During one of his later adventures Jack briefly travels with King Arthur's son and eventually becomes a Knight of the Round Table. It was a very entertaining book, but a quick read. It was only 92 pages in length and most of those were taken up with the picturesque illustrations.
Don't miss this classic. .......2004-07-22
This book, a title in the Everyman's Library Children's Classics series, is a retelling of an old, old story. Richard Doyle was 18 in 1842. He copied the text of this book from a fairy tale that was already hundreds of years old, and he illustrated it with his own drawings, turning it into a picture book. He did this for his own amusement; he did not try to publish it. But five years after he died, his family published it, in 1888.
The book is chock-full of drawings. Full-page and half-page pictures, plus small paintings within the sentences themselves, can be found throughout. And the text itself is fun to read, especially from our modern-day viewpoint and what we've learned to expect from stories. For example, you won't find as much conflict and drama as you're used to. Jack decides to kill a giant, he goes out, and he kills the giant. He never loses, and the giants don't really put up much of a fight. But the story is still interesting because Jack defeats many different kinds of giants --- one-headed, two-headed, and even three-headed ones. And slaying isn't Jack's only claim to fame. Sometimes he doesn't kill the monsters, he just outsmarts them.
The old-fashioned language of the story is fun to read, and some of the storyteller's phrasing might even make you laugh. Here is an example: "Now Jack, though only the son of a poor farmer living in Cornwall, was very clever, for he not only fought and wrestled with all the youths within twenty miles round but he beat them likewise. Can it be wondered at that under these circumstances he should be his father's hope and his mother's joy and that the neighbours should look upon him with the greatest respect?" We might not admire little boys who fight quite as much as they admired them hundreds of years ago, but for Jack's chosen occupation, it was a necessity and it brought him great renown.
You will love the pictures, the fast pace, and exciting exploits in Jack's story. King Arthur even shows up on the scene, fitting in perfectly in this fairy-tale world of pure-hearted knights and fair damsels, castles and moats, and magicians with their enchantments. Don't miss this classic.
---Reviewed by Tamara Penny
A beautiful Victorian classic made easily accessible.......2001-03-12
Jack the Giant Killer requires good reading skills but tells the story of Jack, an intrepid boy who sets out to kill giants. Draftsman/author Doyle's watercolors have been enlarged for this edition, and text given greater legibility: the result is a beautiful Victorian classic easily accessible to modern audiences.
Customer Reviews:
Description.......2006-09-16
They appeared to come from nowhere and do the impossible, these young men who appeared to be anything but extraordinary until they stepped onto the basketball court--but then the magic happened. Hailing from a Willamette Valley mill town described as a "wide spot in the road" and from a school that was among the smalledt in the state, these eight remarkable athletes and their two special coaches spent the basketball season of 1937 defeating the best teams from the biggest schools in Oregon. And when the season had ended, the Bellfountain Giant Killers had created a new chapter in Northwest sports history.
Average customer rating:
- The Best Hellboy Story Never Told
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Giant Killer
Dan Brereton
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Psycho
ASIN: 1582405395 |
Book Description
When giant alien beasts attack San Francisco, the U.S. Military responds by bio-engineering a human-monster hybrid to stop them - and Giant Killer is born! Nocturnals creator Dan Brereton's acclaimed "monsterpiece" is finally collected in to one high-octane trade paperback collection!
Customer Reviews:
The Best Hellboy Story Never Told.......2006-12-24
A katana-wielding, claw-tailed monster man with a beam cannon in his forehead vs. a rogue's gallery ripped from Godzilla movies?
This is what the PS2 game "Shadow Of The Colossus" SHOULD have been.
Customer Reviews:
Jack the Giant Killer DVD.......2007-01-10
My son(13yrs) is an avid Ray Harryhousen fan and this movie was a must for his collection. While not one of the best RH movies, he still has enjoyed it.
What happened?.......2006-12-14
How utterly disapointing... I had no idea that there was a non-musical version of Jack The Giant Killer.
Terrible acting, awful costumes, lame plot, without the songs this movie is a drabby bore. The goofy songs are the key to this otherwise DULL movie.
Faerie tales as they were meant to be.......2005-04-20
Jacky Rowan has just ended a bad relationship. Soon after, she witnesses a murder. When visiting her best friend Kate Hazel the next day, Jacky is sure of nothing except wondering what in her life is real. She is about to find out.
The only proof of what she saw: a red cap belonging to the murder victim, and a mysterious Harley rider not even Kate can see. Soon both women find themselves caught up in a quest that becomes more real than either imagined. Monteal in October transforms into the faerie kingdon of Kinrowan in the weeks before Samhaine.
Spurred on by the enigmatic Gruagagh, Jacky, Kate and the hob Finn must rescue Lorana, daughter of the Laird if Kinrowan They are aided by the faeries Arkan and Eilian- and Jacky's magical name. Those insistent bikers constantly appear to put a stop to any effort. The girls have stumbled(?) into the perpetual battle between the Courts of Faerie.
This is one in a series of retellings of fairy tales put out by Ace Books. While De Lint's storytelling is in keeping with his talents, still it is a retelling of two basic tales. There were a few nice additions (Judith), and a resolution that I did not anticipate. Best of all, this is how Faerie should be portrayed: dangerous, ambivalent and always with consequences. Disney did not invent them.
"He closed his eyes, not to shut out the sight of what lay in front of him, but to seek counsel inside. He let his inner turmoil rise and fret, caught each fear and loosed it from inside him like so many freed birds until only silence lay there, deep and soothing. And filled with possibilities. They lay like threads in front of his closed eyes, going every which way, unraveling into pasts and presents and times yet to come. He couldn't work them, couldn't weave them, that was for other hands more skilled than his,but he could take one thread, one possibility, and tie his need to it, then send it forth from his silence like a summoning call."
We have failed master, we have failed........2004-01-04
I grew up and loved the musical version of this film as shown on the disney channel. I was disappointed to learn that only the dry and humorless version has been released on dvd. The masters at GoodTimes DVD made a crippling mistake and failed miserably by not making this version the musical version. This version of the movie is not worth the mere $4.95 that it costs here. The layer that the music adds is priceless...I watched the musical version of the movie with my girlfriend, and it was like falling in love all over again. You don't get that feeling from the original version.
I'm planning on doing my own transfer of the musical version from VHS to DVD (for personal uses only, sorry guys, you're just going to have to wait until they come out with the musical version. I bet you're jealous.) I'm also going to add a special feature that will allow me to loop the songs over and over again, and I'll be singing "a spectacle" until the wee hours of the morning. Non-musical version=1 star. Musical-version=5 stars.
Sadly this is not the horrifically wonderful Musical version.......2004-01-04
The obviously over-dubbed musical numbers which elevate this film into a comedy classic are sadly missing from this DVD version. The insipid acting, asinine dialogue, goofy clay monsters, even the appearence of a chipanzee. All this hilarious comic potential seems wasted without the "positive" and "inspirational" musical numbers. I mean come on people, "We have failed master, we have failed" it's a freaking classic! Wake up!
Looks like it's back to that worn VHS copy of the musical version I taped off T.V. (musical version = five stars)
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2000 Plus - The Robot Killer and The Giant Walks - 2 Science Fiction Stories - Audio CD
Manufacturer: Radio Revival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: B000QU3PI8 |
Product Description
This is an Audio CD of 2000 Plus, an oldtime radio show from the 1950's. If you love a good science fiction story, you'll love these. Here are the exciting episodes on this disc:
2000 Plus - The Robot Killer
2000 Plus - The Giant Walks
This is an audio CD, so it will play on a standard cd player such as what you have in your car or home. No special equipment needed other than a CD player.
This listing is in compliance with existing copyright laws and Amazon's policies. These are public domain oldtime radio shows legally produced by our company.
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