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Summary: My favorite by Shinn!
Review: I first read this book in 1997, and I still read it every couple of months! Simply fascinating. I've read all three of the Samaria series (plus Shape-changer's Wife), but this was one book I couldn't put down. I liked the way religion and music were blended in, and the way the book hints at the people's high-tech past. Very imaginative. And very interesting love-hate relationship. I waited a long time for the first kiss, much like Mulder and Scully's kiss in the movie!
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Summary: Dont read the flyleaf!
Review: Dont read the flyleaf. Whatever bozo at Ace wrote this revealed information the author clearly had intended not to!! The book itself is well paced, with some strong and (for once) consistent leading characters. If you want scenery and strange beasts, this is not for you, but if you like interesting human drama, buy "Achangel"
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Summary: One of my favorite books of 99
Review: I thought that Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials Books I and II were my best discoveries of the year. Of course, this was until the week in June when I started reading Archangel. I finished it, got in my car, and purchased the sequal. This time however, I did something I rarely do when I this excited about a book; I DID NOT start the second book. I spent the next 24 hours re-reading Archangel. Only when sections were committed to memory purely through sheer familiarity did I start the second book. And of course, the sequel had not even hit the floor before I was on my way to buy the last in the series. As a whole the series is amazing, however Archangel is my absolute favorite.
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Summary: My Favorite Book
Review: My favorite author is Anne McCaffery, and the only reason I even picked this book up was because her praising comment was on the cover. I read the first page, put it down and before I even got out the door realized I was still thinking about it, so I went back and bought it. I am so glad I did! McCaffery is still my favorite author, but this one book is my absolute favorite! If you like her work, I think you'll love this.
Rating:
Summary: Completely outstanding
Review: This book was a mazing, I could not put it down. The characters were well developed like the world of Samaria. The romance between Rachel and Gabriel distincly reminded me of that of F'lar and Lessa in the Dragon Riders of Pern seiries by Anne McCaffery. It was a simple marvelous story filled with plot twists, romance and something that made it impossible to put down
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: With so many science fiction/fantasy novels out there, this one stands out from the pack. Strongly reccommended.
Rating:
Summary: fun, but same story as McCaffery's Dragonrider
Review: A fun book, esp. if you like religious science fiction. I quite enjoyed, but found it interesting that Anne McCaffery wrote the review snippet for the cover calling Archangel "original", since the plot line was almost identical to her original Dragonrider book. There were enough surface differences to make worth reading both, but beneath that, both books can be summarized as follows:1) a colony planet where humans from earth came by spaceship but now that origin has been lost in mysticism. 2) through (presumably) genetic engineering, a leader/protector caste is developed which live up in the mountains away from the rest of the population, who are supported by tithes/tax from the rest of the population, fly on wings (their own or genetically engineered dragons), and practice exogamy (seek mates/new flyers from the human populations). 3) in present day times, the leader of this group has become degenerate and has ceased to believe in the legendary functions of the group. 4) this is parallel by a degeneracy in the land holding populations below, as expressed through greed, violence, and an imbalance in the distribution of wealth. 5) there is a young new leader who will replace the old and believes in the old legends but first he must find a special queen/angelica/mate from among the general populace. a search begins. 6) this young leader also has a loyal side kick half brother whose own love interest defy the taboos of the winged class 6a) and is allied to caste which represents repository of knowledge (oracles/bards) 7) the destined queen/mate of the young leader has been violently displaced from her original social standing as a direct result of the degeneracy under the present regime and she has been reduced to slavery. 8) she is very angry and constantly calls curses upon the place where she has been enslaved (or uses her abilities to cause problems for that place so that a curse is rumored to exist) 9) she is found by surprise (her people having all thought to have been destroyed) when the young leader comes to the place for a matter dealing with local succession (marriage/birth of/by good noble woman married into the evil family directly responsible for girl's enslavement). the future queen helps this noble woman in the succession matter 10) although she does not wish to go with the young winged leader to new, enviable status, she nevertheless is semi coerced into it. they have a romance consisting of a battle of wills and heavier mistrust on the woman's part than the man's. 11) she begins special training for transition moment, during which she hides special skills from her new mate and the rest of his community 12) the transition between new and old leader centers upon the falling from the sky of destruction in the form of the ancient legend, held to faithfully by the young leader and disbelieved by old leader 13) in face of world-wide destruction, the world rallies around new leader, catastropy is averted, the older leadership is destroyed and all is put right. There is also the theme of fertility and renewal of generation brought into the plot at this time 14) the couple make peace.
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Summary: whatta book!!!!
Review: at first i thought i wouldn't like this book cause it seemed like, i can't think of any other way to describe it, a "god book" but i gave it a shot and it was wonderful!!! if you like the whole fantasy scifi thing....this is definatly for you!!
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Summary: This book was fantasticly engrossing!
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It is a quick read and so enjoyable that I didn't want to put the thing down. The characters are real, the plot is so unique, and if your a sucker for a darn good romance this book is for you. I really can't think of anything I didn't like about this book except that it ended. Endearing.
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Summary: From Sci-Fi to Fantasy in a single leap!
Review: I am struck by the author's use of contemporary religious symbolism used to weave a story that is rooted in science fiction, reads like a fantasy thriller, and paints a picture of human social struggles and love inside the neatly organized package. This book is to World Economics what Planet of the Apes was to Racism -- a wonderfully cloaked parody of the current social, religious, and economic evils in our daily life from which we can safely step back and judge with a clearer perspective. And all this with a positive conclusion! A gem of a story.
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