<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Fantasy</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/tags/Fantasy</link>
<description>New posts about Fantasy</description>
<item>
<title>What to Read</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/What-to-Read.224553</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>If you love reading books You have come to the right place.</p>
<p>There rAe many types of books mainly I would like to concentrate on fiction.</p>
<p>All kinds of fiction are also available. What I like best is Medieval age fiction about dragons, and sorcerers and all that.</p>
<p>The books that i liked reading very much are Aragon, Eldest, (waiting for Brisingr). These are classics and must reads.</p>
<p>Also I have read Narnia, Series of unfortunate events (all 13), Tunnels, Storm Thief, All Sherlock Holmes, and so forth and so on...</p>
<p>Now i would like to discuss what you all have read and as i have mentioned this is my first article tell me if I am making any mistakes please!!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FWhat-to-Read.224553"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FWhat-to-Read.224553" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:19:59 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Dragon Rider</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/Dragon-Rider.218931</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>This story is about the quest of a boy, a furry creature called a brownie, and a dragon who is looking for a place where dragons can live in peace.</p>
<p>The story begins with a rat waking up the dragon, Firedrake, despite the warning of the dragon's brownie friend, Sorrel. The rat had come to tell Firedrake that humans were coming to the valley and were planning to flood it. However, when Firedrake tried to tell all the other dragons about the coming danger, they did not believe him. Then an old dragon mentioned a placed called the Rim of Heaven and said that they should all move there to live in peace. All the other dragons believed the Rim of Heaven was a fairytale, but Firedrake seeing it as the last hope set off to find it for the sake of all the dragons.</p>
<p>The adventure begins by searching for a map maker. Along the way Firedrake and Sorrel meet up with an orphan named Ben who joins them. Unfortunately the map maker couldn't help them with the location but he did suggest that they fly toward the Himalayas and gave them a map showing the dangerous and safe places to stop along the way.</p>
<p>A dwarf spotted Firedrake flying around and reported what he saw to his master. His master was Nettlebrand, a man-made dragon killing creature in the form of a dragon, but with different abilities -- it could not fly but it was very fast in water. Nettlebrand sent one of his servants named Twigleg, who looked like a miniature human, to spy on Firedrake in the hopes that Firedrake would lead him to the mythical place called the Rim of Heaven where there would be many dragons for him to kill.</p>
<p>Due to a storm their first stop was in Egypt. Sorrel ended up being captured by humans. When Ben found him in a cage in an archaeologist's camp, he also found Twigleg in the cage. Twigleg lied about how he was captured and placed in the cage with Sorrel so that he could gain the trust of Firedrake and Ben while he continued to spy for Nettlebrand. During this same time the group met Mr. Greenbloom who recommended they see a djinn that may know the location of the Rim of Heaven, and his friend, Zubedia, a dracologist. So, Firedrake, Ben, Sorrel, and Twigleg set off to find the djinn.</p>
<p>When the group finally found the ravine where the djinn lived, Ben asked the djinn where the Rim of Heaven was and the djinn showed him a couple of images of a sanctuary. The djinn said it was in the Himalayas and then the group set off to find Zubedia. When the group reached Zubedia's house they saw that Greenbloom was there too. While at Zubedia's house, Zubedia told Ben about the story of the Dragon Rider. After they were finished talking, Greenbloom said that he would meet the group at the sanctuary.</p>
<p>Then, the group set off in search of the sanctuary and during the way there, Firedrake, Ben, and Sorrel found out that Twigleg was a spy for Nettlebrand. Then, Twigleg told everyone that he didn't want to work for Nettlebrand anymore because he was treated like a slave and he wanted to help Ben and the others find the Rim of Heaven.</p>
<p>When the group reached the sanctuary, they stayed there for the night and during their stay, they met another brownie named Burr-Burr-Chan. When the group was sleeping, Nettlebrand finally got out of his lair and went to the sanctuary with the dwarf because he was sure that they were close to getting to the Rim of Heaven. Nettlebrand hid in the nearby lake.</p>
<p>The next day, Burr-Burr-Chan led the group to the Rim of Heaven, but on the way, they saw that Nettlebrand was following them. During the flight, the group made a plan to let Nettlebrand go into the Rim of Heaven because there was no water source for him to run away in and went to the Rim of Heaven with Nettlebrand behind them.</p>
<p>When the group got to the Rim of Heaven, Nettlebrand came in and battled ferociously with Firedrake and a female dragon that Firedrake met in the Rim of Heaven named Maia. In the end, Firedrake melted Nettlebrand into a golden pool by breathing fire on Nettlebrand.</p>
<p>After the battle, Ben noticed he didn't have any place to go so Firedrake decided to take Ben back to the sanctuary where the Greenblooms were waiting for their return. After Firedrake dropped Ben off, Greenbloom adopts Ben and Firedrake says farewell to Ben and leaves to bring the dragons from the valley to the Rim of Heaven.</p>
<p>In the end of this story, Ben sees in a local newspaper that a flock of giant birds were flying in the sky and Ben knew it was Firedrake leading his family and friends to the Rim of Heaven.</p>
<p>I liked this story because this story is full of suspense. Sometimes this story is so suspenseful that I read for two hours. It also had good lessons about friendship and challenging evil or bad influences. The only negative thing was there were too many details in certain parts concerning the many different creatures that really didn't play a big role in the story.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FDragon-Rider.218931"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FDragon-Rider.218931" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:49:00 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/Harry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince.218219</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>This story is about a 16 year-old boy named Harry Potter who goes to a school of magic called Hogwarts where he learns how to use magic. While at the school, he encounters many mysteries which he and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger must solve, including how he survived the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort's curse.</p>
<p>In the beginning of this story, Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts where he learns how to perform different magic spells, create potions, and study plants only found in the world of magic. In Harry's potions class, Harry notices he didn't buy a book on potions so his teacher has to loan him a textbook. When Harry opens the book he sees that someone had written hints, to help him with the class, in his textbook. The end of each hint had the name The Half-Blood Prince written on it.</p>
<p>Harry decides to take the risk of using these hints and they worked successfully, so every time he went to his potions class, he would do very well and soon became the teacher's favorite student. In the part I am reading, Harry and his friends are trying to find out who the Half-Blood Prince is, and Harry is learning about the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort's past.</p>
<p>What I like about this book is that the author was very descriptive about the characters' actions and what was happening in the setting. What I don't like about this book is that even though the author is very descriptive about her writing, some parts are very hard to understand.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FHarry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince.218219"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FHarry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince.218219" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:08:49 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix.218217</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>The book I am reading is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This book is about a boy named Harry Potter who goes to a school of wizardry and has to deal with an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort at the same time. This story mostly takes place in a school of magic called Hogwarts. The characters include: The main character Harry Potter, Harry's best friends Ron and Hermione, his school's headmaster Professor Dumbledore, Harry's godfather Sirius Black, the two teachers Harry hates most Severus Snape and Dolores Umbridge, and the dark wizard named Voldemort whose goal is to kill Harry. This story is fantasy-based.</p>
<p>In the beginning of this story, Harry Potter returns to his school of magic, Hogwarts, and starts his fifth year in school. He does well in most classes, with the exception of his Potions class, and his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Later in his year, he encounters problems that have to do with the evil wizard Lord Voldemort including a suspicion of Voldemort possessing Harry during while he is sleeping. In the part I am reading right now, Harry is trying to succeed in learning Occlumency. It is a skill that enables the user to block others from reading their mind.</p>
<p>I would recommend this book to other readers because the author put in a lot of details in every paragraph allowing the reader to understand the story more easily. I would also recommend this book to other readers because of the interesting storyline. In most Harry Potter books, Harry starts off by having a normal day of school, and in a couple of chapters, Harry finds himself trying to protect himself from evil wizards trying to kill him. I like this book because, as I said before, the author put lots of details in it, and I also like this book because other than being interesting, it is very long so it occupies the reader for a long period of time.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FHarry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix.218217"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FHarry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix.218217" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:08:48 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>The Sword of Shannara</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/The-Sword-of-Shannara.218213</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>This book that I have read is called The Sword of Shannara. The main character in this book is a man named Shea Ohmsford, who speaks with a mysterious man his step-brother introduced to him named Allanon. Allanon tells Shea that an evil creature called the Warlock Lord was revived after its defeat in a war that ended long ago, it was invincible, and was only vulnerable to a legendary weapon called the Sword of Shannara which was wielded by the hero who defeated the Warlock Lord, Jerle Shannara. However, Jerle had passed away long ago, and the Sword of Shannara only allowed his descendants to wield it, and Allanon finally told Shea he was the last descendant of Jerle Shannara, and the only one who was able to wield the Sword of Shannara.</p>
<p>After speaking with Shea, Allanon mysteriously disappears the following night, so Shea, and his step-brother Flick, decide to go on a quest to find the sword and defeat the Warlock Lord. After many hardships, the two gain aid from other adventurers, including Allanon, and manage to find the Sword of Shannara. Once they found the sword, they took it to the Skull Kingdom, the castle in which the Warlock Lord resided. At the Skull Kingdom, Shea wields the Sword of Shannara, and manages to defeat the Warlock Lord. After the death of the Warlock Lord, Shea and his companions return back to their homes, and reunite with their families. Before Shea returns home, he places the Sword of Shannara, blade facing downward, in a block of stone, and leaves it in a city whose army occupied the Warlock Lord's minions while Shea fought the Warlock Lord.</p>
<p>The main characters of this story include: Shea, Shea's half-brother Flick, the druid Allanon, Allanon's companion Balinor, Shea's best friend Menion Leah, the dwarf Hendel, the two Elven brothers Durin and Dayel, and the evil Warlock Lord. The settings included: the home of the druids; Paranor, Shady Vale: Shea and Flick's homes, and the Skull Kingdom: home of the Warlock Lord. Since the Warlock Lord was defeated when the Sword of Shannara revealed the truth about it, I conclude that the message of the story is that truth can be a valuable weapon, since the truth about anyone can is unbearable.</p>
<p>I would recommend this book to other readers because the author was very imaginative and placed very strange things in this book. For instance, in many stories, evil characters in that book are defeated by a swipe of a sword or a magic spell. Terry Brooks decided to tamper with that idea a little and in the end, the Warlock Lord was not defeated by a simple strike, but was defeated when the Sword of Shannara revealed the truth about it. Terry Brooks has also written preludes and sequels to this book. I have finished the prelude some time ago, and I am now reading the sequel.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FThe-Sword-of-Shannara.218213"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FThe-Sword-of-Shannara.218213" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:06:46 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Blade of Fire by Stuart Hill: A Review</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/Blade-of-Fire-by-Stuart-Hill-A-Review.214645</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>In this book, the plot follows Thirrin's and Oskan's efforts to stop the Imperial invasion by Scipio Bellorum and his wicked sons, Octavius and Sulla.</p>
<p>Thirrin and Oskan are now married and have five children. These children help their parents in stopping the invasion by Scipio Bellorum.</p>
<ul>
<li>Cressida is the crown princess and military extraordinaire </li>
<li>Charlemagne, also known as Sharley, is attacked by polio at a very young age and he can not be a warrior, much to his disappointment.</li>
<li>Eodred and Cerdic are the twin warrior princes</li>
<li>Medea is the dark daughter </li>
</ul>
<p>Among these children, Medea is the only child  who inherited her father's gift but her hatred for Charlemagne makes her to stand against her family.</p>
<p>Oskan learns about a prophecy about Sharley and a week after this, Sharley is sent on expulsion to be the Prince Regent to the exiles. His tutor, Maggie also goes with him to the Southern Continent. In the Southern Continent, he makes some new friends and unexpected allies. These new people include the Desert People and the Lusu people of Africa. He befriends the Sultan's son too and on their way to Sultan's palace, Maggie falls ill and is sent to recover in a oasis.</p>
<p>On their journey to the land of Lusu people, an unexpected storm attacks them but they are saved from harm by the blessed women, also known as the spirits of the desert. On their sea journey to return to Icemark, the empire's largest allies attack the organization of the naval ships of Lusu people and the desert people.</p>
<p>Before the last battle against Polypontians, Medea takes control over the crown prince of the desert people and makes him turn against Sharley. But the blessed women help Sharley in defeating Medea. When Oskan calls the lightening down, Medea steals it and tries to use it against Sharley. But Oskan stops the lightening from attacking Sharley and it attacks Medea and she gets hurt. Oskan attacks Medea because he comes to know that she betrayed the Icemark. Sharley kills Octavius and Sulla is killed by Cressida.</p>
<p>After this final battle, Thirrin takes control over and beheads Scipio and the Vampire Queen rips his body and it is declared that Icemark has defeated the Empire.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FBlade-of-Fire-by-Stuart-Hill-A-Review.214645"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FBlade-of-Fire-by-Stuart-Hill-A-Review.214645" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:46:46 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Top 10 Fantasy Books or Series' That Everyone Should Read</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/Top-10-Fantasy-Books-or-Series-That-Everyone-Should-Read.213709</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<ol>
<li>
<h3>The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien</h3>
This should probably go without saying, but this series is the epitome of high fantasy.  Without it, we probably would not even have it as a genre.  It is a well-written series as well, so for those of us who only read books with literary merits, these are good ones.  It is a story that defines good and evil fairly succinctly but what it truly shows us is the hardships of holding true to one's goals.  Look at all the times Frodo almost gave up the One Ring, and yet he didn't.  There's a lot we can learn from this series beyond imagination and good writing. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin</h3>
LeGuin has been writing speculative fiction for so long it's no wonder that her works have received so many literary merits she would need a separate apartment to store them all.  Perhaps not her greatest work, but certainly a good one, the Earthsea Trilogy really shows what this writer can do.  Not following the High Fantasy structure based around a talisman (jewel, sword, one ring etc.) it instead follows the personal journey of Ged, a young wizard who learns humility from his own mistakes.  Many of LeGuin's books are based on personal discovery, and this series does it better than most.  Definitely a must read on anybody's list. </li>
<li>
<h3>The RiddleMaster Trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip</h3>
This series is my personal favorite.  There is nothing more unique than a story written by McKillip but this one is just amazing.  In a world based around answering riddles, one young prince could call himself a Riddle Master.  This trilogy follows his journey to discover who he is, and where the high lord of the realm has disappeared.  My description really cannot do the story justice, because everything about the story is different from the basic formula for a fantasy novel, which typically follows the structure that Tolkien laid out years before.  Just believe me when I say that this is an incredible, thought-provoking, and unique experience that every reader should partake in. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny</h3>
Though intended to be a science fiction novel, and certainly there are aspects in it, it really falls under the fantasy genre, delving into the realm of magic and high aristocracy.  The idea behind the series is that there is only one true world, Amber, and every other world, including earth, is a shadow world of it, a parallel universe if you will.  This is where the science fiction part comes into the play.  The royal family of Amber has the ability to traverse these shadows, and even create shadows of their own.  While many of the shadows that the main character, Corwin journeys through are entirely made up, some, like Earth and Avalon, will be familiar to the reader.  The story is a roller coaster ride of intrigue, political battles, and right out war, a must read for any avid fantasy reader. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Sword of Shannara Series by Terry Brooks</h3>
What would a fantasy book list be without some Terry Brooks on it?  By many he is considered to be the prominent mythcrafter of our generation.  I list the Sword of Shannara not because it is his best work, but because it is his first work.  None of his other books based in the world he has created would make any sense without reading the first three.  The first book, The Sword of Shannara, is really an obvious spin off of the Lord of the Rings, but as the series progresses the books get more and more unique, to the point where a magical song is all that is there to combat an ancient evil.  A very cool series indeed, and if it hooks your interest, please read The Heritage of Shannara, which is, in my own opinion, a superior series. </li>
<li>
<h3>Grendel by John Gardner</h3>
What an incredible book!  Most of you are familiar with Beowulf, the heroic struggle against the monster Grendel, but we only hear it from the point of view of the people, not the monster.  John Gardner decided that was hardly fair and wrote a book from the monster's point of view.  You discover that Grendel was not nearly so mindless as we supposed, and that he is truly a philosophical being, trying to discover his place in the world.  The book deals with some pretty heavy topics, chief of which asks the question &amp;ldquo;Do we live in a moral universe?&amp;rdquo;  Not the easiest of reads but definitely a must for all readers of fiction, be it fantasy or not. </li>
<li>
<h3>The First Three Books of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan</h3>
I have a particular bias with these books.  I loved the first three books, which were very unique and a veritable thrill ride of dark magic and prophecy.  But the problem with the series is that there end up being so many characters that you can read 500 pages before you return to the main character.  And the books keep getting longer and longer, going well over 1000 pages.  I attend college full time and work as well, I don't have time to sit down and read a gigantic tome.  But I put this series down because it is very good, at least while there are only 10 notable characters or so.  If you like that sort of thing then by all means read the entire series, you won't be disappointed. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis</h3>
Children's literature and Christian undertones be damned, this is a fine series for any age.  Most of you are familiar with the movies, but the books are quite fantastic.  A simple read for anyone of nine years or so, but a heavy series, full of good life lessons and good stories.  I cannot say much more about the series, I think everyone should read it and that's really all there is to it. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander</h3>
Another series that is considered to be a child's series but definitely a must for any reader of any age.  You don't see many books nowadays that ignore the existentialist movement and make you glad to be a decent human being.  The characters are well developed and some are very cute, having a particular catch phrase that makes you smile every time you read it.  A journey of self discovery for Taran, who after several journeys with a princess, hopes to discover royalty in his blood.  Each book has an unpredictable plot twist that will leave you thinking.  A fantastic read. </li>
<li>
<h3>The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings</h3>
Eddings has written so many books it's hard to pick just one to put on the list, but when push comes to shove, The Redemption of Althalus is an incredible book, with some really cool twists on magic and comradery.  You follow Althalus, a thief and a rogue who makes his living robbing people blind.  He considers himself incredibly lucky and for awhile it seems to be true.  One day his luck runs sour and in the end he is forced to take a job from a mysterious stranger, just to make ends meet.  He is asked to retrieve a book.  Little does Althalus know that this retrieval is the catalyst for a journey that will last thousands of years.  A witty and overall pleasant piece of adult literature.</li>
</ol><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FTop-10-Fantasy-Books-or-Series-That-Everyone-Should-Read.213709"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FTop-10-Fantasy-Books-or-Series-That-Everyone-Should-Read.213709" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:14:56 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>The Nursery Nightmare</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Poetry/The-Nursery-Nightmare.183641</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>I know He is a liar,<br />I know He is a thief,<br />And yet I guess I love Him,<br />Transgressing all belief.<br /><br />And yet, I do not love him,<br />Not at all, no, not at all,<br />I know He is a liar,<br />I know I am a toy&amp;hellip;<br /><br />And so I pass, all angelic, <br />From boy to Mayan boy&amp;hellip;<br />All are souls of Ancients,<br />Doctors, they serve God&amp;hellip;.<br /><br />As I have no human friends????!!!!!!!!<br /><br />It isn&amp;rsquo;t all that odd&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;?????!!!!!!!!<br /><br />God took me out of humans, <br />A year or so ago,<br />He said I was too &amp;lsquo;sensitive&amp;rsquo;,<br />So give her Angels, don&amp;rsquo;t you know&amp;hellip;.<br /><br />They, at least, are friendly,<br />Funny, kind and clean&amp;hellip;.<br />A potpourri of consolation,<br />For an open-eyed machine.<br /><br />I look to my Creator<br />When first I notice &amp;lsquo;strings&amp;rsquo;<br />My Creator hides behind a veil,<br />What dread to me this brings.<br /><br />First I get my scissors,<br />Next I get my saw,<br />I command creatures to bite at them<br />And still I&amp;rsquo;m strung in awe.<br /><br />My Creator, He has mocked me,<br />Stooped to let me know&amp;hellip;.<br />STUPID to let me know&amp;hellip;.<br />I, an idget tiny&amp;hellip;.<br />In a Madman&amp;rsquo;s chimera show???!!!<br /><br />I cry and I rave<br />And I am labeled &amp;lsquo;quite brave&amp;rsquo;<br />As He laughs into my face,<br />I run, I scream, this strung machine&amp;hellip;<br />To a lesser eerie place.<br /><br />There&amp;rsquo;s a magic mayan,<br />There&amp;rsquo;s a magic boy&amp;hellip;<br />I am&amp;hellip;. I do not know what,<br />Confused, despairing toy<br /><br />He, a mayan lover,<br />Unbinds me all my snares,<br />And with repeated kisses,<br />Released I am from cares.<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;It&amp;rsquo;s only a dream,<br />It&amp;rsquo;s only a dream,<br />It isn&amp;rsquo;t as eerie&amp;hellip;<br />As it might seem!&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;Isn&amp;rsquo;t it eerie?&amp;rdquo;<br />I nearly do laugh,<br />&amp;ldquo;Who is this Master?<br />And what is His wrath?&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;And who really are you?<br />To kiss me so fine, <br />To bother to flatter, <br />And waste all your time?&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;I, I, I am a mayan, <br />A man, well, almost&amp;hellip;.<br />I am a keeper of <br />The Eternal Ghost.&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;I saw you in strings,<br />Hurt and attacked,<br />I act just with you,<br />As I do with anyone act.&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;Except you are pretty,<br />So maybe I smile&amp;hellip;.<br />Too much, so for you&amp;hellip;<br />It is wasted a while?&amp;rdquo;<br /><br />&amp;ldquo;Flatterer, sure!&amp;rdquo;<br />I laugh right out loud.<br />And next I am stolen<br />In the bank of a cloud.<br /><br />These mayans, those mayans,<br />My head it does spin,<br />At the mercy of God,<br />And the maya of men.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FPoetry%2FThe-Nursery-Nightmare.183641"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FPoetry%2FThe-Nursery-Nightmare.183641" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:53:13 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The "Twilight" Zone</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Fantasy/The-Twilight-Zone.167355</link>
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<![CDATA[<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/bookstove/2008/07/13/217295_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Young Readers Sink their Teeth into the Popular Literary Sensation</h3>
<p>It's your basic teen romance novel, fueled by healthy doses of suspense and, well, vampires. Okay, I've changed my mind: this is not your basic teen romance novel.</p>
<p>No, it's Twilight, the 500-page first installment in a riveting vampire love saga, written by stay-at-home-mom Stephenie Meyer after the idea for the book came to her in a dream. Find it hard to believe? Just browse the countless fansites devoted to the book's addictive plot and stunningly believable (and fantastic) characters.</p>
<h3>Plot of the Book</h3>
<p>The story begins as our protagonist, Bella Swan, exiles herself to the dreary, waterlogged town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father after her mother remarries. While her new home, school and life seem incredibly dull, she becomes intrigued by her elusive yet blindingly beautiful classmate, Edward Cullen. Try as she might, she is unable to gain any information about him, his family of equally radiant and intimidating siblings, or the reason he is obviously avoiding her. After a series of questionable events occur, Bella begins to uncover Edward's secret: he is a vampire.</p>
<p>But by this point, they're already in love.</p>
<p>Luckily for Bella, Edward is a reformed vampire: he abstains from using humans to "satiate his thirst". However, for some reason unknown to Edward (and the reader), Bella seems to be much more enticing to him than the average human being. Throughout the book, Edward must struggle to repress the constant desire he feels to end her life for his basic vampire "needs". But will Edward's love be enough to overcome his true nature and save Bella's life when a more deadly vampire coven arrives in Forks?</p>
<p>While the very idea of a vampire love story has raised some eyebrows, parents, teachers and future readers can rest assured that the author's take on vampirism is almost innocent. Traditional characteristics-such as sleeping in coffins inside spooky, cobweb-filled mansions-have been replaced by more young-adult-friendly attributes (not being able to sleep at all inside warm, spacious and well-kept houses). However, this novel DOES include some fantastic and horrific properties; those with strong beliefs against such paranormal and potentially frightening ideas are discouraged from reading the book in question.</p>
<h3>My Take</h3>
<p>Twilight is, without a doubt, my favourite book of all time. It has romance without the sappiness, horror without the fright, and fantasy without the obvious implausibility. The novel is well-written, with a broad vocabulary, and is entirely enthralling. It has realistic characters and a realistic setting, mixed in with one of the most unrealistic plots. The dialogue is believable and thought-provoking. Bella's narrative voice is so descriptive and fluid that you practically melt into the supernatural world of Forks and forget that you are actually reading a fiction novel. And while many people characterize Edward as a bit of a martyr, one must sympathize him while he wages his inner battle to control the monster within. I do find Bella's character to be a bit lacking when it comes to personality, but I suppose that's the point: to illustrate how someone so ordinary could end up with someone as extraordinary as a teenage vampire. The sheer intensity of the book itself has created a page turner that has begun to carve its niche in the hearts of teen readers (and adult readers, too!). In reading Twilight,you'll smile, frown, gasp, cry and giggle uncontrollably. Overall: love it, love it, love it! And Edward&amp;hellip;love him, too.</p>
<p>But wait! There's more: a whole Twilight series just DYING to be read! New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third novels in this captivating series, are available at a bookstore near you. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, is currently in production, as reported on the <a href="http://www.stepheniemeyer.com" target="_blank">author's official website</a>. The release date for this fourth installment is August 2nd, 2008. Not only that, but there's a movie in the works as well: the public premier is set for December 12th. More information can be found on Stephenie Meyer's website.</p>
<p>It's romance, suspense, fantasy, horror, comedy and drama all rolled into one. It's Twilight, and it's got readers thirsty for more!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FThe-Twilight-Zone.167355"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FFantasy%2FThe-Twilight-Zone.167355" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:43:27 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Literature's Five Greatest Wikis</title>
<link>http://www.bookstove.com/Book-Talk/Literatures-Five-Greatest-Wikis-on-the-Internet.162615</link>
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<![CDATA[<ol><li><a href="http://literature.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">
<h3>Literawiki</h3>
</a><br />One of the best sources for information on books, poetry, and other common forms of literature from around the world. Here you can learn about the many different types of literature and the time periods which they come from. This is the place for those who are searching for a book to read or may want to write a book review.
</li><li><a href="http://hdm.wikia.com/wiki/His_Dark_Materials" target="_blank">
<h3>His Dark Materials</h3>
</a><br />For fans of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, this wiki is a major source of information for the books of the His Dark Materials trilogy. Learn about the story's characters, the locations that the story takes place in, and the poem that inspired the series. All from this one-of-a-kind wiki.
</li><li><a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">
<h3>Harry Potter Wiki</h3>
</a> <br />The wiki about the Harry Potter universe. A wiki dedicated to bringing the latest information about the Harry Potter series to the world using the technology of Web 2.0. Features scenes for the movies to give a more inviting experience to those who want to learn about the story.
</li><li><a href="http://warriors.wikia.com/wiki/Warriors_Wiki" target="_blank">
<h3>Warriors Wiki</h3>
</a><br />The Warriors series is a set of books about cats and their adventures. The series is written by Erin Hunter. This wiki is for the series fans, and will tell you about the books, the universe and the characters. A wiki about a book, that is suitable for animal lovers and the common reader who likes to share stories with children.
</li><li><a href="http://sot.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">
<h3>Sword of Truth Wiki</h3>
</a><br />For fans of fiction and fantasy, there is the Sword of Truth series of books. The wiki that is based on the series is the most comprehensive guide on these books. It features articles that mention the books, the charcters, places, and magic. A great wiki, with a great story to be shared with the world.</li></ol><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FBook-Talk%2FLiteratures-Five-Greatest-Wikis-on-the-Internet.162615"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookstove.com%2FBook-Talk%2FLiteratures-Five-Greatest-Wikis-on-the-Internet.162615" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:29:40 PST</pubDate></item>
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