Rating: 
Summary: How Did He Know Us So Well?
Review: Colin Channer has managed to capture the way most of us fresh, new, sophisticated, college-educated, Black women act (and react) in one of the main characters, Sylvia. And Fire is the epitome of what every woman like that wishes they could have to fall back on when they're tired of TRYING to carry the world on our shoulders. But his greatest feat was capturing the way women like Sylvia are sometimes conflicted by what's good for them and what "works" for them and sabotage the real thing we call love. A good read, you'll devour this novel in no time.
Rating:
Summary: How Did He Know Us So Well?
Review: Colin Channer has managed to capture the way most of us fresh, new, sophisticated, college-educated, Black women act (and react) in one of the main characters, Sylvia. And Fire is the epitome of what every woman like that wishes they could have to fall back on when they're tired of TRYING to carry the world on our shoulders. But his greatest feat was capturing the way women like Sylvia are sometimes conflicted by what's good for them and what "works" for them and sabotage the real thing we call love. A good read, you'll devour this novel in no time.
Rating:
Summary: Fire is always hot...
Review: Colin Channer is a son of Caribbean soil, a single soul merely descendant of those slaves who chose life over suicide throughout the triangular slave trade.
Like most of us Afrikan descendants he has an innate passion for his work, a mini-universe that channels himself into beautiful lyrics. He is a lyrical god to those who understand where his passion resides and the fact that its source is infinite, his contributions are sure to continue to colour and shape our apetitie for good writing.
Ode to Colin Channer, for writing Waiting in Vain was his first crime against mediocrity in modern romance fiction, setting the standards for his brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and all Diaspora.
Yah Bless you Colin Channer.
Signed: Obvious Fan for Obvious Reasons
Sekara
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Summary: Simply one of the best books I have ever read!
Review: I just happened to find this book in a used bookstore near my job, and I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Channer's lush, eloquent prose. This book is not just another mundane Black love story. It is a near-epic tale which explores the depths of friendships, families, and the search for true love. The main characters, Sylvia and Fire, are extremely engaging. I could not put this book down. It is highly recommended.
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Summary: Caribbean Love
Review: I must say I really liked this book. I found the language to be a rich, colorful texture. The Caribbean scenery especially is painted with a garden's vibrance. Books such as these that center around common truisms rejuvenate the spirit. The main characters, Fire and Sylvia, are two distinct individuals who share a passion for their individuality and as well as their common bond. Their lives are complicated by internal and external winds, sometimes pushing them closer, sometimes pulling them apart. I think anyone who reads this book can relate to the characters - whether through their own lives or the lives of people they have known.
Ultimately I found this book to be a study of life's passions. Good and bad. Sometimes those things that you hold so close you must push away. And inversely, those that you once held far, you must now pull closer. I highly recommend.
Caribbeanabroad.com
Directories, Events, Community and Book Club.
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Summary: Dream a little Dream, Fire is real
Review: I thought this book was awesome, to say the least. Colin really pulled you into the novel with his various character roles. You didn't have to try hard get involved, it was harder to separate. I haven't read a book this fascinating in years. The places are so real (being born in Jamaica, visited NY and now living in Canada), that I was able relate with no problem as to what was going on during certain scenes. Brothers, there is nothing in wrong in being what you can be. Forget about the stereotypes and Let Love!!!
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Summary: Nuff respec'!!
Review: In the summer of 2002, a woman sitting across from me on the subway saw me reading SATISFY MY SOUL and said, "that's a good book, but you should read his first one, WAITING IN VAIN." I already liked Colin Channer's writing, and took the woman's advice & borrowed WAITING IN VAIN from the library. I had to return it before I finished it, but I didn't renew the loan. Instead, I purchased a copy because I want to build a collection of Mr Channer's writing in my personal library.
It's refreshing to read the work of an author who actually KNOWS how to write! I'm drawn to the rich detail about places I know and love-Manhattan & Brooklyn-and have visited-London & Kingston, Jamaica. The characters don't seem like imagined individuals thrown together; I can smell & see & taste them, and feel them when they touch one another. They're like people I've known, and like I am-all rooted in the real world. They worry and cry and laugh about things I do. I feel drawn to Fire, Sylvia, Ian and Margaret emotionally, and even [physic]ally. Channer writes about their love, fear, sadness & joy with romance, wit & eroticism. Several times, I've had to close the book when I read it on the subway, to stifle tears or hide an [...].
I'm a [neophyte] author, and should I ever get published I hope my work will touch, arouse and thoroughly entertain readers the way Colin Channer's writing has done to me.
I highly recommend this book, and Mr Channer's other work, to everyone who enjoys excellent writing.
Rating:
Summary: Takes My Breath Away
Review: Many times I passed this book in the bookstore...I'd decided that I didn't like the cover and wouldn't like the book. Now I'm in love...with Fire. All I can say is this book is sooooooo good it defies description. I simply do not have the words. Powerful, poetic, and seductive. By far some of the hottest, imaginative love scenes ever written! Colin channer, It has been such a long time since I've enjoyed all the elements of a book, thank-you for respecting this art. The characters are real and they have depth, the story is fascinating and realistic and your writing style is as smooth as whipped topping. You have made it onto my list of all time favorites. Again...Thank You
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Summary: Your Wait is not in Vain
Review: On a number of occasions, "Waiting in Vain" was passed over as just another black love story. But after reading only several pages, it became readily apparent that it is so much more. The lyricism of Mr. Channer's prose and vividness of his imagery is riveting and rivals the best poetry. And in his main character "Fire", Mr. Channer has created a prototype who is larger than life not because of particularly heroic or prodigious acts but because of the depth and breadth of his love - for Sylvia the object of his desire), for his teacher (Blanche), for friends (such as Ian and Phil), for his race and for mankind. My immediate and visceral reaction to "Waiting in Vain" was that a way needs to be devised to distill the strength, commitment, caring, sensitivity, spirituality and wisdom of "Fire" and inoculate every black male at birth to ensure the ultimate transformation of the troubled landscape of blacks throughout the Diaspora. However, upon reflection, it was recognized that "Fire" possesses a formula not just for black manhood but also for "humanbeingness" in a world whose values are seriously askew. Relegating this work to shelves designated for African American interest deprives the rest of the world of an opportunity to be reminded of the unfulfilled (but realizable) possibilities of the human condition.
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Summary: Waiting in Vain: A Must-Read!
Review: One day while rushing to the cashier at B&N, I picked this book up because of it's eye-catching cover. I was in a hurry, so I gave it a quick scan and decided it was going to be that week's 'train reading'. I was pleasantly surprised by this book: Channer did an excellent job of capturing the complexities of the transnational experience. The Brooklyn/Jamaica/London backdrop adds richness to the text -- this is not the typical boy-meets-girl-they-have-a-fuss-and-make-up-and-live-happily-ever-after story. Instead, I found in Waiting in Vain an honest treatment of the multiple influences on the relationships of people who cross cultures, and the very real push/pulls of the home and people they leave behind. My only point of dissatisfaction? The erotic scenes were, not surprisingly, too heavily influenced by the author's male perspective. I would have preferred if they were written with more emphasis on the way the female protagonist experienced them. Overall, Waiting in Vain is a must-read for someone in search of a text that provides an excellent view of living and loving away from 'home' and an honest description of the way culture (in this case, Jamaican) is more than what the people around you do, but can become a strong factor in determining what one finds ultimately satisfying. This story is realistic, yet entertaining and I found myself sad to leave the lives of the protagonists when the story ended.
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