Rating: 
Summary: Ships and guns and badguys, oh my!
Review: There is a scene in this book where the protagonist steps into the middle of a corridor under fire, raises her blaster, and calmly picks off the enemy one shot at a time. It may well be my favorite scene in any space opera, written or filmed. I pick up this book on occasion just to reread that scene.The thing is, the whole book is like that. "Price of the Stars" is a throat-grabber from word one, a book I could not put down. If you're looking for Grand Canvas adventure in the classic swashbuckling style, you can't do better than this book. My one complaint, and it's minor, is that the romance gets short-shrift and seems abrupt when it's brought full circle. I felt that way about the romance in all of the Mageworlds books, but since that's not what I'm reading them for, I'm not too bothered. Certainly it hasn't stopped me buying all the Mageworlds books and devouring them!
Rating: 
Summary: Junk Food
Review: These books are okay but a basic waste of time. After seeing the reviews here I decided to check them out. I should've listened to my friends who told me not to bother and recommended stick with Hesse and Heinlein and Bradbury instead. Now that I look at these reviews about the Doyle-MacDonald stuff after having actually read them they seem generated by friends of the writers anyway, which is fine, more power to them. (I think they teach a writing course or something). But if you're looking for something that does more than absorb your time, keep looking, you won't find it in by these run of the mill genre imitators. Other than that, the writing is okay.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO LOVE ADVENTURE
Review: This book provides action, excitement, characters, plot, setting and everything else you could hope to find in a book. This story tells of a young woman, with a streak a stubborn pride, who loses her mother in a failed assassination attempt. Her father offers her his prize ship, the legendary Warhammer in exchange for the names of her mother's killers. Beset on all sides by enemies of deadly power, she turns the galaxy upside down wherever she goes. This book has more great characters than can be counted and incredible fast action pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I cannot thank Debra Doyle and James MacDonald enough for giving us this universe to explore
Rating:
Summary: Space Opera and fine adventure
Review: This book was scheduled as one of my SF book club's discussion books. I wasn't completely enthused about it since I had read Weber's Honor Harrington series (which I enjoyed immensely!) and felt sure that it would be a knock-off. Boy was I wrong! This book has fine characterization, interesting plotlines, and a universe that kept me turning the pages all night. While I couldn't stop at this first book (Starpilot's Grave and By Honor Betray'd are books 2+3), this book could be read as a stand-alone for those who aren't prepared to dive into a multi-book series. As mentioned in several of the other reviews, this book is reminiscent of the Star Wars universe with some science fiction elements and a bit of the supernatural. What appealed most, however, was that the authors built a sense of history into their universe so that there is a feeling that the crises recounted here are the result of real historical events. In addition, the reader does not have an omniscient view of the action, because many of the characters do not have a complete understanding. This made the plot more realistic. This is definitely a book to put on the "re-read" shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Space Opera and fine adventure
Review: This book was scheduled as one of my SF book club's discussion books. I wasn't completely enthused about it since I had read Weber's Honor Harrington series (which I enjoyed immensely!) and felt sure that it would be a knock-off. Boy was I wrong! This book has fine characterization, interesting plotlines, and a universe that kept me turning the pages all night. While I couldn't stop at this first book (Starpilot's Grave and By Honor Betray'd are books 2+3), this book could be read as a stand-alone for those who aren't prepared to dive into a multi-book series. As mentioned in several of the other reviews, this book is reminiscent of the Star Wars universe with some science fiction elements and a bit of the supernatural. What appealed most, however, was that the authors built a sense of history into their universe so that there is a feeling that the crises recounted here are the result of real historical events. In addition, the reader does not have an omniscient view of the action, because many of the characters do not have a complete understanding. This made the plot more realistic. This is definitely a book to put on the "re-read" shelf.
Rating:
Summary: The Next "Star Wars" or "Princess Bride"???
Review: This first novel in the "Mageworlds" trilogy, especially when combined with the other two volumes in the trilogy form *MY* current favorite for "Most wanted to be filmed". (Yes, I know, there are two additional, but considerably slighter, novels set in this world.) This has everything one wants in High Space opera...tragedy, comedy, pathos, blasters and swords and magics black and white, disguises and betrayals and lost empires hanging in the balance. The villans are evil without being enchanting, the heroes challengingly flawed. The technology doesn't violate *too* many of the known laws of physics or magic, and there is indeed something for everyone. A glorious romp, in short -- nothing too intellectually challenging, but not entirely predictable in the details.
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