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ISBN: 0812571363

ListPrice: $5.99

Edition: Reprint

Summary: Rob Lewis, an ordinary computer programmer with a wife and two kids, becomes something extraordinary one day after he wakes up and discovers he can read--and control--other people's minds. It's an ability most people dream of having, but for Rob it quickly destroys his life. There is a death, injuries, the threat of warping the lives of his children. Rob flees to New York where, homeless and destitute, he contacts Edwin Barbaross of the National Institutes of Health. Together they travel to Uzbekistan, where Rob will face both the source of his powers and his own inner demons.

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ISBN: 0441110800

ListPrice: $1.95

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ISBN: 0345316819

ListPrice: $4.99

Edition: Reissue

Summary: Sten had fought his way up from slave laborer on a factory world to commander of the Eternal Emperor's bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas.
But during the first three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten encountered were the well-phrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed no place for an honest fighting man. Then a bomb turned a spaceport bar and three strangers into scraps and well-mixed hamburger. The clues said "plot" and pointed right to the imperial staff.
Only quick -- and bloody -- work by Sten, Alex Kilgour, and a tough female detective would keep the Empire together and the Eternal Emperor alive.

ISBN: 034537696X

ListPrice: $5.99

Dimensions: 1 by 4.25 by 7 in.

Summary: This is the exciting -- and fitting -- end to the series. Yes, the authors are playing a bit of an ideological trick, but it really makes sense in the end, and I kicked myself for falling right into it. I've reread this series several times, and it never fails to please. Each book has its own feel, but each is still part of the greater whole. Now if only they'd get them back into print, I could recommend them to more of my friends.

ISBN: 0345009983

ListPrice: $3.95

Summary: For those of you who enjoy brilliant character development, intense action sequences and adventurous story telling, look no further than the Sten series. Authors Allan Cole and Chris Bunch transport you to a future where man travels the depths of space with ease, the human Empire spans thousands of light years, and mankind has mastered the ultimate power source: AM2. The Eternal Emperor finds his realm beset by adversaries who seek to gain control of the Imperial AM2 supply. With enemy plots threatening to destroy his empire, the Eternal Emperor turns to Sten and Alex Kilgour to help in the Empire's struggle against the powerful and ruthless Tahn invasion fleet. This novel renders amazing space battle scenes, defines courage and valor in the face of overwhelming odds, and is an excellent chapter in the Sten series. Having read hundreds of titles in my life, the Sten series ranks as one of my favorites of all time and I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 034536130x

ListPrice: $5.99

Summary: The Privy Council who ruled in place of the dead Eternal Emperor needed to find his secret source of Anti-Matter Two. Unfortunately, the only man who knew where it could be wasn't talking. He had an agenda of his own and was willing to destroy the universe if he couldn't get his way....

ISBN: 0345331737

ListPrice: $5.99

Dimensions: 1 by 4.50 by 7 in.

Summary: As with all the Sten Novels written by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch - simply excellent.

ISBN: 0345285034

ListPrice: $2.50

Summary: The Sten submachine gun was introduced in June, 1941 - An interesting name for a military SciFi protagonist. My husband and I enjoyed this book a great deal, particularly the quirky characters (i.e., the emperor) and their smart-alec dialogue (We tried to read out loud Alex's dialogue - couldn't do it, but never-the-less we liked it - a bit like Scotty on Star Trek, but with more pepper).

ISBN: 0345312295

ListPrice: $2.95

Edition: Rei

Summary: The Eternal Emperor ruled countless worlds across the galaxy. Vast armies and huge fleets awaited his command. But when he needed a "little" job done right, he turned to Mantis Team and its small band of militant problem solvers.

Just then the Emperor needed to pacify the Wolf Worlds, the planets of an insignificant cluster that had raised space piracy to a low art.

And Mantis Team could use all the men it needed -- as long as it needed no more than two.

ISBN: 0891418431

ListPrice: $7.50

Edition: 04

Dimensions: 1.25 by 4.25 by 7 in.

Summary: Overall, this is a good alternate history book of an Imerial German invasion of the US East Coast in 1901. The battles on land and at sea are very exciting and entertaining and in my opinion are the best parts of the book.There were, however, a couple things I did not like about the book. First of all, every character swears and curses like there's no tomorrow (although there might not be with Germany invading), which just doesn't seem to fit the time period. Granted most characters are military men, but the foul language is a bit over used. Secondly, I think a more plausable start to the war would have been at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898(?) when the German Asiatic Squadron had the opportunity to attack and (unless Britain intervened)destroy America's forces in the Phillipines. Instead, Conroy opted for Kaiser Wilhelm make the decision a few years later when America would be quite able to oppose a foreign invasion (although Conroy's timeline does afford Germany the time to assemble a large invasion force).In conclusion, if you like military history, I think you will enjoy this book, if not emmensely, than at least a great deal.

ISBN: 0441013554

ListPrice: $7.99

Dimensions: 0.75 by 5.25 by 7.50 in.

Summary: Princess Contessa's dreams of living happily ever after marrying a prince are shattered when her "parents" reveal that she's actually a street urchin they raised as their daughter to thwart assassins from their real target.

ISBN: 0441014240

ListPrice: $7.99

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When I read The Decoy Princess, I hadn't known what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised. It went on to my top shelf with all my other favorites. By the time Princess at Sea came out I had high expectations, but I was also doubtful that the sequel would be as good. Fortunately, Princess at Sea is as good if not better than the first.



The book begins not long after the last with Tess, as an ambassador, accompanying her sister the queen and her sister's new Misdev husband on a holiday to meet the people of Costenoplie. Tess's new skills as a player are challenged when pirates overtake their ship and capture the queen and the prince to ransom them. In Princess at Sea, Tess struggles to survive terrible beatings, a near rape, a deadly bite from a poisonous animal, near insanity from harnessing the power of the wind, betrayals from those she trusted and her own vast and uncontrollable powers. I was deeply caught up in her struggle to save her sister even at the expense to her own life and mental suffering. The characters are rich and believeable and the world that Dawn Cook has created is captivating.



I enthusiastically recommend Princess at Sea. It's a great follow up to a great book. I just hope Dawn Cook changes her mind and writes another one!

ISBN: 0451458753

ListPrice: $6.99

Summary: Private Investigator Garrett has agreed to play bodyguard for a kid who is being threatened by creatures that defy description. But before Garrett can make heads or tails of the story, the kid is abducted-and the chase begins.

"Cook brings a dose of gritty realism to fantasy." ("Library Journal")

ISBN: 0451153715

ListPrice: $3.50

Summary: Stormwardens are the battle mages of Glen Cook's fantasy world of Karenta. They are the deadliest citizens of Tun Faire and exactly the kind of people Garret doesn't want to work for. First of all, he would probably have to work hard for his money, and if he got it wrong that would be too high a percentage chance that he might finish his life as a frog. But Garret is a sucker for a beautiful woman and Amarinda Crest, a half-elf and gorgeous, is the bait on Stormwarden Raver Styx's hook. The result is Garrett in trouble again.



First Styx's son disappears, then he reappears but Amarinda is gone. And Styx's secretary is a genius at stonewalls and dirty tricks, who has eyes only for the Stormwarden's husband. And there's a daughter, a mistress, and just a few dozen trolls. This story has more rotten characters than a hive has bees, even if you are only counting the good guys. And there aren't too many of them. From the moment Garrett gives Amarinda his first long and loving glance he is in deep water.



Glen Cook continues to write what is one of the better 'fixer' series in the market, pitching Garrett and the Dead Man into a plot that makes noir detective stories look like self-help books. This is a dark story, one where there aren't any 'good,' just shades of bad and ugly. But Garrett endures the snipes of the Dead Man and his cohort in crime, Morley Dotes, while delivering a few of his own, and this provides a lot of the charm of the story -- the underlying relationships that give the tale its underlying humor and keep the reader comfortable and interested.

ISBN: 0451157737

ListPrice: $6.99

Edition: Reissue

Summary: As often happens in this series it is a beautiful woman who drags Garrett into trouble. Jill Craight has something that needs guarding and Garrett farms out the job to Pokey Pigotta, who takes the job and then quits. Only to turn up dead when it turns out he had switched sides. In the mean time Garrett gets a visit from the Grand Inquisitor who wants Garrett to unmask a group that is spreading unpleasant truths about the Orthodox Church. Garrett declines, but may as well have accepted. Pretty soon strange homicidal eunichs are trying to terminate the detective, and the only clue is some brand new old coins that belong to a religion that shouldn't exist.



Garrett isn't just in trouble, he's dooms if he can't extricate himself from a plot which includes priests, gods, and religious politics. There is a series of climactic struggles as Garrett hunts for whatever is driving the killer priests in their quest for relics and power in TunFaire.



Along with the regular cast, Glen Cook introduces Maya, the head of an all girl street gang who, on a good day, see the worst side of life. Maya will reappear at regular intervals and in many ways is the best possible mate for the rough and tumble Garrett, if he were ever to go looking seriously for a mate, But, to date, he hasn't. Maya is a spark of life and commands on of the larger roles that Cook gives to any woman in this series.



Cold Copper Tears isn't the best of the Garrett tales, but it still meets the high standard Cook works at. New characters and character traits abound and the complicated life in TunFaire unfolds a bit more with each episode. If you like what you've read so far, track down a copy.

ISBN: 0451453050

ListPrice: $4.99

Summary: This is the 7th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). Unfortunately, it's not up to par with the rest of the series. First, the book just seems to wander around in the middle. Garrett doesn't seem to be going anywhere with the mystery. It does pick up near the end, but that leads to the second problem: the solution to what's been happening just doesn't mean anything. We know who did what to whom and why (mostly). But, nobody really gets anything out of it. For the reader, the answers to all the questions are just emotionally empty. The final "big" problem with the book is that the character of Garrett's love interest, "Chastity," just falls apart. She's fine through most of the book, but then at the very end, she just drops out of the character (personally, emotionally, and professionaly) Cook set up for her. There's no explanation for it. It's very jarring and unwelcome.



Because of this, I can only rate this book at an OK 3 stars out of 5.



BTW: At the time of this review, this book is long out of print. It's tough to find anywhere. As an alternative, look around for the SFBC's "Garrett Investigates." This book is part of that collection.

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ISBN: 0451450086

ListPrice: $5.50

Edition: Reissue

Summary: When Tinny, Garrett's on again off again sweetheart is stabbed in a case of mistaken identity, Garrett goes on the rampage. Tinny survives, but if TunFaire's most accident-prone detective has his way the perpetrators are doomed. It's all about a book, and a plethora of redheads, who show up in various states of undress, and wizards, witches, and wannabees. Everyone is in this game for keeps, and with Tinnie healing; Garrett discovers that it is his own skin he should be worrying about.



In a castle a ways from the city a lord lies waiting for a death that never comes. And his wife has locked herself in her tower to make a book of dreams and wait for the time when her curse has run its course. For witches a book of dreams is a special think. Each page is a spell to turn the caster into someone else. A dwarf into a king, a housemaid into a lady, or an idiot into a wizard. Everyone wants the book and Garrett realizes that nothing good can come from a magical tool that has that much power.



So, once again Garrett is off trying to save the world, the Dead Man is trying to keep Garrett alive, Morley is playing both ends against the middle, and Winger is trying out an entirely new wardrobe. After the darkness of Old Tin Sorrows, Dread Brass Shadows is a relief. Glen Cook returns to the edgy, wisecracking style that makes this series good reading. This is a wild tour through TunFaire at its craziest, with enough action to make the book hard to put down.

ISBN: 0451454790

ListPrice: $6.99

Summary: Since the end of the war, there had always been bigotry against non-humans in TunFaire. Even though many species had sacrificed in battle, some groups of humans thought the "Golden Rule" translated to "Humans rule. Now give us your gold." With the streets descending into bloody race riots, and the organized "human" brotherhoods flexing both physical and economic muscle, TunFaire was a hairsbreadth from total chaos. Garrett is a wise-guy private investigator who speaks loudly and carries a big stick. Backed by a circle of friends no one would wish on their worst enemy Garrett is caught in a conspiracy of hate that pits man against.everybody!

Praise for Glen Cook:

"Lively homage to Chandler and company, with plenty of suspects, sex, and corpses...Cook turns fantasy inside out!" --"Locus"

"Garrett spouts argot and attitude worthy of the hardest-boiled detective who ever pounded mean streets...fun to read!" --"Fantasy Review"

"Fast-paced adventure that combines sword and sorcery with hard-boiled detective fiction!" --"Library Journal"

ISBN: 0451160134

ListPrice: $3.95

Summary: This is the book for anyone who has enjoyed any other of the Garrett novels. It is the second book in the sequence of events in Garrett's life. It explains the background of Elenor, the haunting painting that hangs above Garrett's desk. Fans of the Dead Man will be disappointed, as he makes but a brief appearence in this book. This is possibly Cook's best Murder mystery / Ghost story.

ISBN: 0451454782

ListPrice: $5.99

Summary: Add one part Kolchak: The Nightstalker, a touch of Columbo, and heavy helping of wizards, elves, dragons, and all sorts of fantasy creatures. Blend quickly while tongue is planted firmly in cheek. There you have the entire Garrett P.I. series from fantasy writer Glen Cook. Petty Pewter Gods is the 8th book in the series. While it definitely helps to have read the first seven before jumping into this simultaneously zany and action filled installment, Cook does a great job providing just enough back-story to explain the sometimes (O.K. quite often) strained relationships between our hero and his so-called allies.



In this installment, Garrett finds himself in the employment of the gods themselves, who seem to be having a problem holding on to their followers. And when the number of followers falls below a certain level, the gods are threatened with eviction! This one starts out with all the fun and mayhem of the other books, but unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the others in the series. The problem is that in this installment I think the story got too big for Cook, and it appeared destine for multiple volumes. Instead, the author chooses to try and wrap everything up in the last fifteen or so pages, with our hero making a lucky guess and having all you-know-what break loose. While the ensuing chaos is a fun read, don't think to hard about it afterwards, because then you will realize just how contrived it was.



If this was done by most other authors, the story would have fallen flat and turned me off from the rest of the books. But Cook has a way of letting you feel like you are in on some big, cosmic joke. Never taking his protagonist or storyline too seriously, the end result is a fun ride through the magical city of TunFaire. The end result is a lighthearted action-fantasy-adventure that fans of the series will enjoy. If you have never read any of the Garrett P.I. books, don't start with this one, however. Fans of Cook's Black Company series may be surprised by the high humor and just outright silliness that appears in this book, and in the entire series.



This book has been out of print for a while, but is still available at used bookstore vendors and in many libraries. While not the best in the series, its definitely worth reading if you are familiar with the books.

ISBN: 0451451082

ListPrice: $5.50

Edition: Reissue

Summary: This is the 6th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). It's a good book, but the pacing could use some work. Also, Cook introduces several minor plot elements and does very little with them until the end. One of them, having to do with Morley, he doesn't do anything with (like explain it) at all. Regarding recurring motifs in the series, in this book, Cook introduces Chodo's daughter and the Parrot. His introduction of the Parrot is disappointing considering its prevalance in later books (if you don't know to watch for it, you'd miss it entirely). But, still, overall, a very good book. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.



BTW: At the time of this review, this book is long out of print. It's tough to find anywhere. As an alternative, look around for the SFBC's "Garrett, P.I.." This book is part of that collection.

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ISBN: 0451150619

ListPrice: $3.50

Summary: It should have been a simple job. But for Garrett, a human detective in a world of gnomes, tracking down the woman to whom his dead pal Danny left a fortune in silver is no slight task. Even with the aid of Morley, the toughest half-elf around, Garrett isn't sure he'll make it out alive from a land where magic can be murder, the dead still talk, and vampires are always hungry for human blood.

ISBN: 0451459741

ListPrice: $6.99

Summary: In TunFaire, a city of gorgeous women, powerful sorcerers and dangerous magic, the beautiful, criminally insane daughter of a comatose crime boss has some lascivious designs on private investigator Garrett-who now has to figure out why everyone is suddenly after him.

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ISBN: 0812501403

ListPrice: $3.95

Summary: A terrific book that plays upon the stereotypes of pulp fantasy. I highly recommend this book! Find a copy, even if it's used; you'll enjoy it.

ISBN: 0812545494

ListPrice: $6.99

Summary: I definitely recommend it. Basically the idea isn't that the aliens come here to bring peace, knowledge and prosperity, (in spite of their marketing spiel) rather they put earth in its proper place in the galaxy - an incredibly backward planet, ready to be exploited. Compared to the galaxy, we are a third world ... um, world. How do you make a place for yourself in the galaxy in a situation like this? The analogy the author uses is that Earth must become a "Taiwan", using our incredibly cheap labour as our only viable asset. Well that, plus a bit of ingenuity.Needless to say this isn't 'hard' science fiction. There are plenty of gaping holes in logic, not to mention physics. And there was a time or two when our hero's characterization was a bit off, though those could be explained as the difference between him being the narrator, and what he's really like. Finally, the second last sentence of the book is a bit sobering if you understand what he's getting at, but it leaves the book open to a good sequel. I hope he writes it!

ISBN: 0812522699

ListPrice: $4.99

Summary: Just when things had begun to take on a normal shade of boredom, Timaeus d'Asperge, and his companions are propelled on another quest. This time, they must accompany Cincianus Polymage, a man of seemingly limitless power but limited sanity, to undo the magic of the statue. However, there are still many (many, many) who want the statue; can our heroes keep the statue and take it all the way to foul Arst-Kara-Morn?This book is great, even better than the first one (Another Day, Another Dungeon)! At times I found myself laughing out loud. Mr. Costikyan somehow succeeds in making a wonderful admixture of action and comedy. I highly recommend this book, and hope that there will be yet another sequal.By the way, I'm still a little unclear on the whole "greep" thing, but would like to try some, myself!

ISBN: 1572971959

ListPrice: $5.99

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ISBN: 1572970081

ListPrice: $6.50

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ISBN: 0380788314

ListPrice: $3.99

Edition: Reprint

Summary: In a newborn twenty-first century, tunnels through spacetime have connected our planet with hitherto unimagined alternate universes. After many years, the genius minds working at the SSC project have reached out into the vast cosmos to achieve their greatest dream: contact. But with whom. . .or what? And at what cost? For something has received their message--an ancient, hostile entity searching for knowledge and life to absorb and annihilate; and entity that has now locked onto a faint, persisting signal emanating from a distant, uncommonly fertile feeding ground. . .called Earth.

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