Rating: Summary: wolves, twins, and serial killers. Review: Regina and Renata are twins; so similar that even their parents can't tell them apart, their first language was their own version of "twinspeak", which they spoke well into their teens. When they decide to leave a rapidly growing rowdy party and their car breaks down, one decides to walk to a nearby gas station, while the other one remained in the car. After a while, the twin still in the car decided that her sibling was taking too long, and went to follow her.Mark Austin, the first person narrator, tells their tale. His father and the twins' father were friends during the Vietnam War, and remained friends afterward. When Mark was seven years old, the twins were born - and they essentially saw him as their big brother, their "Mr. Fix-It". When the only twin left alive after discovering her sister, brutally raped and murdered, awakes in his presence, he essentially becomes her guardian: the only one she can turn to. Mark moves into a boarding house while he attends graduate school, with the only twin - now referred to as "Twinkie", a nickname Mark gave the twins when they were young - several blocks away. She audits a class he teaches, and decides to show him what she can do: she produces an amazing essay on what she did that summer, staying in the "bughouse". At the same time, elsewhere in Seattle, violent killings seemingly unrelated to the story occurred. However, they all involved men who weren't of the best sort - rapists, drug dealers, etc. Mark begins to wonder whether or not this has to do with the twin, who has been having bad nightmares the night of the killings... and listened to a tape with wolves howling, which may or may not have caused the nightmares... and, just maybe, the killings. This is a phenomenal novel. I was barely through the first fifty pages before I realized that it was one of the best things I've read this year... and, just maybe, ever. Things come to a conclusion about a hundred pages before the end of the book, but those extra pages aren't put to waste: they tie up loose ends that are left with the book. I'll admit that the final plan, to get the surviving twin out of Seattle, was somewhat hokey - but the whole book is gold. It seems to me that the main thing fellow reviewers of this novel seem to not understand is that this is not meant to be part of the Belgariad series - this is a completely different book, a completely different genre. When you read this book, ignore ratings and any preconceptions you may or may not have developed, and just read.
Rating: Summary: What happened? Review: When I first read the Belgariad, I was enchanted. Great story, great characters, compelling from start to finish. The Mallorean had so many parallels to the Belgariad, but that was fine because it was incorporated into the story. Then came the Elenium, and I started to suspect that Eddings was a one trick pony. Too many similarities to previous efforts. Well, after reading Regina's Song, I'm going to say I wish he (and his wife) had just stuck to that one trick. A pretty cool idea was dragged into the mud by mind numbingly boring characters and execution. Some of the worst dialogue I've ever read; think noir meets Barbie. Finally, I was offended by the pomposity of the main character, who remains pugnaciously mundane to the highly unsatisfying end.
Rating: Summary: Can't Believe This Review: My first Eddings book and probably my last! Where are these authors coming from with this dialog? Cutsey-poo, dockie-poo,nutso,bughouse, and doggie doo doo? And these are college grad students and instructors? I haven't finished it yet, but the stupid dialog is a real turn off.
Rating: Summary: Not the Belgariad Review: First off, this is not the Belgariad. However, like the Belgariad, I couldn't put it down. Amazing story. Wow. Lightly exploring the relationship shared by identical twins and hinting at the loss that a twin would feel after the brutal murder of her sister, Regina's Song is more than a crime novel, yet falls far short of a crime novel in the actual crime aspect. What kind of novel is it? Beats the heck out of me, but I devoured every page. The string of violent murders that try to overpower the story are, while central to the story, not why I continued reading. I wanted more "Twink" (the surviving twin) and less of the "Big brother and his over protective graduate student friends". I'm a guy, so I probably shouldn't admit this, but the relationship stuff was interesting. Although, I was disappointed in the apparent celibacy of every main character. If you've read and enjoyed The Losers, give this one a try. Yes, as other reviewers have mentioned, the Eddings' writing is fairly predictable - especially if you've read their stuff as avidly as many of us have. The major plot twist was given away early, but the ending was not.
Rating: Summary: It was awful Review: When I first picked up A David Eddings Book it was Pawn of Prophesy. I have to say I was riveted and loved every minute of it. Then as I read further into his novels I began to see how it was all the same. The same characters with different names. There is always a Belgarath type character (Althaus, Mark, Sparhawk) always a Polgara type character (Serphenia, the lady who owned the house in Regina' song, and Emmy.) And they always play the same roles. I noticed as I was reading the Begarath the Sorcerer that Eddings even put it in his writing, how the character noticed how things had a way of repeating itself until the error that caused the whole problem was fixed. Which basically said "I only have one story line so I have to alter it accordingly to fit all my new books. Regina's song was no different. It was the same story with different characters and it was boring and old. I wouldn't reccomend this book to anyone.
Rating: Summary: Great Start, Horrible Finish, Too Review: Really enjoy Eddings, thus was pleasantly surprised to see what I thought was a non-fantasy/sci fi work by them. Very good premise (the special connection of identical twins). Also, the cover seemed to indicate that it just might be a good crime novel. There were some very compelling sections. However, I don't think the Eddings ever figured out what genre they were attempting to portray. Had just a little bit of crime, Perry Mason, sci-fi, mystery, psycic, etc. But, unfortunately, not enough of any to hold the story together to the end. Was disappointed.
Rating: Summary: Great Start Horrible Finish Review: Like many others writing reviews for this book I am a fan of the classic Eddings fantasy, the Belgariad was a superb piece of fantasy fiction, the Mallorean was decent sequel series. The Ellenium was good although the parallels to the Belgariad were many, and the Tamuli was just plain campy. It seems after this the Eddingses just quit. Everything after that became formulaic. The Redemption of Althalus was a fun read but about as deep as a mud puddle. Okay enough about their former work. Regina's Song leap out at me for the name of the author's alone, and the premise from the back of the book sounded intriguing, one twin brutally murdered and the other falls into a state of psychosis. She returns to the real world and murders start to happen. Now of course it all points to her, but I was expecting a true plot twist, something supernatural, something scary. I got a slight surprise and if the book ended at page 319 in the paperback I would have given this book two more stars. Instead it went downhill. With less than trilling courtroom drama to a James Bond style car chase I was left not only disappointed but nearly scared off of reading for awhile. With a rehashing of the cutesy camy dialogue that became Eddings' trademark from Domes of Fire to the present I nearly wanted to vomit every time someone said "Be nice." I know this review does not give a whole lot of detail about the book or it's characters but I truly do not like to give too much away. If someone actually wants to read this book I would hate to ruin the very few surprises it has.
Rating: Summary: Eddings was thinking of tea... Review: One line in this novel really bothered me. A character asks another character if they would mind living with a black guy. The dialogue bothered me. From the way the 'young people' talked, I started to believe this novel was set in the 1950s and I had to check back a couple of times to make sure it really was set in...1995. University girls use words like 'nifty' and I'm sure there was a 'golly' somewhere. The characters bothered me. Mark didn't seem half as upset by some of the revelations as he could have been. I thought his recitation of Beowulf under the circumstances he recited it in was pretty tasteless. The plot...now the plot was good. It would have been more intriguing if all the overdeveloped dialogue and numerous flat characters hadn't got in the way. I showed my boyfriend this book and one of the mallorean books. He flipped through both quickly and said,"Eddings is thinking about what he's writing in this one (mallorean), but he was just thinking about a cup of tea while writing the other."
Rating: Summary: Not normaly my genra, but wow! Review: My husband and I usually end up fighting over David and Leigh Eddings' books, and this was no exception. I bought the book thinking that it was a fantasy, but was surprised to find that it wasn't. I normally don't read this type of book, however, I found this one to be riveting. I finished the book in just three sittings. I have 3 children and haven't been able to do that in some time. It showed that in the writing, the Eddings' did some research into the different fields the characters were portraying. I enjoyed the way that everyone was intermeshed in the story line. I was drawn into the story and the plight of Twinkie and Mark. Thank you for another well written story.
Rating: Summary: Not the Eddings you're used to... Review: Do not buy this if you are looking for David and Leigh Eddings' typical fantasy story. This book is not the Eddings that you've gotten accostomed to from the Belgariad or his other series. In Regina's Song, David and Leigh Eddings bring to bear their considerable story telling talents to a modern day thriller. This book is a fast read and I found it very enjoyable. The story is fast paced and well thougth out, with a twist at the end which will keep the reader guessing for at least a couple of days. The characters are well developed if slightly uninteresting. All in all, this is a good diversion.
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