The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint

 First sentence:

"...like music entangled in a thorny embrace, leaf-sigh, branch-rustle."

Description:

"Back in print for the first time in ten years, this original novel stands among the finest of Charles de Lint's early works. Eithnie is a young painter who is acclaimed by the art world until the critics start noticing that her work has lost the animating passion that had set her apart from the crowd. She returns to her cabin in Canada's remote woods, hoping to find a place where she can seek solitude and focus on her art.

At first, Eithnie's muse remains elusive, but then beautiful and disturbing creatures start slipping into her sketches unbidden. The following days bring strange visitors bearing cryptic messages indicating that Eithnie may be bound by a promise made in a forgotten, magical childhood. The world of Faerie is clearly reaching out to her for help, and her ability to figure out what they need may mark the difference between their survival . . .and their doom." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book about different world interacting - the "real" world and the "faerie". Eithnie, an artist, becomes entangled in both as she wrestles with finding her muse and trying to figure out whether the faces she sees in the woods are real or not. I liked de Lint's descriptions of the woods and the sounds Eithnie hears as she moves through them. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Something Rich and Strange by Patricia McKillip.

Date read: 12/31/2024
Series: Brian Froud's Faerielands, #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0765302586
ISBN-13: 9780765302588
Publisher: Orb Book, Tom Doherty Associates
Year: 1994
# of pages: 205
LibraryThing page

May 2015: Sea of Glory; The Last Hot Time; Gray Mountain

8. Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick

My thoughts:

I liked this book about the U.S. Exploring Expedition. Philbrick's prose nicely details both the discoveries and the people involved.

Date read: 5/15/2015
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: History
LibraryThing page

9.  The Last Hot Time by John M. Ford

My thoughts:

I liked this fantasy of a man who crosses worlds to become a doctor for otherworldly characters.

Date read:  5/21/2015
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy
LibraryThing page

10. Gray Mountain by John Grisham

My thoughts:

I liked this book about a lawyer who enters a new world and discovers she can make a difference in people's lives.

Date read: 5/27/2015
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fiction
LibraryThing page

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

First sentence:

"So the talk of random brutality wasn't just talk."

Description:

"Ten years after the publication of Wicked, beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts.

What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba's son? He has her broom and her cape -- but what of her powers? Can he find his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison, Southstairs? Can he fulfill the last wishes of a dying princess? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?

For the countless fans who have been dazzled and entranced by Maguire's Oz, Son of a Witch is the rich reward they have awaited so long." - Amazon.com

My thoughts:

I liked this second book in The Wicked Years series. Liir is an interesting character and I liked his interactions with Candle and Glinda as he learns about who he is.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, A Lion Among Men.

Date read: 2/16/2015
Book #: 2
Series: The Wicked Years, #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0060747226
ISBN-13:  9780060747220
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Year: 2006
# of pages: 352
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Door to Ambermere by J. Calvin Pierce

First sentence:

"To an observer viewing the avenue from behind a low garden wall, the object, passing as though in languorous flight, would have been something of a mystery, though one perhaps more likely to prompt speculation than active investigation."

Description:

"This World. . .is tough if you play your cards as badly as Daniel. He's a gambler whose luck is about to change from bad to weird.

The Other World. . .is in shambles if you cast a spell as poorly as Rogan the Obscure. He's a wizard who can literally raise hell.

Between the Two Worlds Lies. . .

The Door to Ambermere

It is the gateway between an ordinary bar in an ordinary city and an extraordinary tavern in a magical realm. But when magic goes wrong, anything can happen. Like a trade-off. The gambler Daniel enters a world of sorcery in which the odds are far more dangerous than a poker game. And in exchange for Daniel, a creature is unleashed in humankind's city streets. . .a demon! " -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this meeting of two worlds fantasy. I especially liked the way Daniel figured out how to navigate in Ambermere and how he met his love, Modesty. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Sorceress of Ambermere.

Date read: 8/19/2014
Book #: 28
Series: Ambermere, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441159443
ISBN-13: 9780441159444
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1992
# of pages: 229
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

First sentence:

"I was the youngest of three daughters."

Description:

"A strange imprisonment.

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhapss make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, 'Cannot a Beast be tamed?'

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this version of "Beauty and the Beast". I especially liked the interactions between Beauty and the two "spirits", and how Beauty and the Beast gradually became friends.

Date read: 7/22/2014
Book #:  25
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0060753102
ISBN-13: 9780060753108
Publisher: Eos
Year: 2005
# of pages: 325
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

First sentence:

"According to the First Scroll of Wen the Eternally Surprised, Wen stepped out of the cave where he had received enlightenment and into the dawning light of the first day of the rest of his life."

Description:

"Time itself is threatened— and it's up to the History Monks to save it in Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld® series

Everybody wants more time. Which is why, on Discworld, only the experts can manage it—the venerable Monks of History who store it and pump it from where it's wasted, like underwater (how much time does a codfish really need?) to places like cities, where busy denizens lament never having enough of it.

While everyone talks about slowing down, one young horologist is about to do the unthinkable. He's going to stop. Well, stop time, that is, by building the world's first truly accurate clock. Which means esteemed History Monk Lu-Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd have to put on some speed to stop the timepiece before it starts. For if the Perfect Clock starts ticking, time—as we know it—will end. And then the trouble will really begin " -- from Amazon.com

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book about time, destiny and the Four, or is it Five, Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I especially liked Monk Lu-Tze and his lessons to his apprentice Lobsang Ludd.

Date read: 7/9/2014
Book #: 24
Series: Discworld  #26
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0062307398
ISBN-13: 9780062307392
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2001; 2014 (this edition)
# of pages: 432
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Geist by Phillipa Ballantine

First sentence:

"It was good weather for a riot."

Description:

"Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off malevolent hauntings by the geists. . .

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha Faris, now thrust into a partnership with the novice Deacon Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aid a Priory besieged by a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows. Even if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in the hell is she returning to?" -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This is a very good urban fantasy, featuring battles between the living and the dead. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, especially between Sorcha and Merrick. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Spectyr.

Date read: 5/30/2014
Book #: 17
Series: Book of the Order, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441019617
ISBN-13: 9780441019618
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2010
# of pages: 294
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddoe

First sentence:

"Oxford England, July 1869. Everyone thought she had made it ups, and she had tolerated more taunting and teasing from other children, more lectures and punishments from grown-ups, than any eleven-year-old should have to bear."

Description:

"The Myth:

Alice was an ordinary girl who stepped through the looking glass and entered a fairy-tale world invented by Lewis Carroll in his famous storybook.

The Truth:

Wonderland is real. Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne, until her murderous aunt Redd steals the crown and kills Alyss's  parents. To escape Redd, Alyss and her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, must flee to our world through the Pool of Tears. But in the pool Alyss and Hatter are separated. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Yet he gets the story all wrong. Hatter Madigan knows the truth only too well, and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This book was a good take on the Alice in Wonderland story. I liked how Alyss and Hatter have to navigate in this world and how they and their friends work together to confront Redd. I look forward to reading the next book, Seeing Redd.

Date read: 1/17/2014
Book #: 4
Series: Looking Glass Wars, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0545049369
ISBN-13: 9780545049368
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Year: 2007
# of pages: 358
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams

First sentence:

"The wind sawed across the empty battlements, yowling like a thousand condemned souls crying for mercy."

Description:

"It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki's wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point - the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow.

And even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to fulfill missions which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the hidden mountain caves of the Qanuc trolls - across storm-tormented waters to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend - to the secret heartland of the Sithi, where the near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood. . . ." -- from the back cover


My thoughts:

I read the previous book, The Dragonbone Chair years ago, so I was glad to read the recap before reading on. There were times when the plot jumped around and I had trouble keeping track, but overall I liked this book and I look forward to reading the final book, To the Green Tower.

Date read: 5/20/2013
Book #: 10
Series: Memory, Sorrow, Thorn #2
Rating: 3*/5
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0756402972
ISBN-13:9780756402976
Publisher: DAW Books
Year: 1990
# of pages: 727
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J. Cherryh

First sentence: 

"Its name had been Galasien once, a city of broad streets and thriving markets, of docks crowded with bright-sailed river craft."

Description:

"Deep in an abandoned, shattered castle, an old man of the Old Magic muttered almost forgotten words. His purpose -- to create out of the insubstance of the air, from a shimmering of light and a fluttering of shadows. that most wondrous of spells, a Shaping. A Shaping in the form of a young man who will be sent east on the road the old man was too old to travel. To right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and call new wars into being.

Here is the long-awaited major new novel from one of the brightest stars in the fantasy and science fiction firmament. C.J.Cherryh's haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father.

A tale as deep as legend and a intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man's ambition, a young man's innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

Overall I liked this fantasy epic featuring the innocent Tristan trying to understand his purpose in the world. Sometimes, however, I wish there was a list of characters and their connections as many of the names were similar and I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Fortress of Eagles.

Date read: 1/27/2013
Book #: 1
Series: Fortress, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0061056898
ISBN-13: 9780061056895
Publisher: HarperPrism
Year: 1995
# of pages: 773
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

First sentence:

"I used to go to thrift stores with my friends."

Description:

"Magic for Beginners is many things. Sweetly strange. Liberally scattered with brilliance. A magical lens on the stuff of life that moves and makes us. These are stories of the real world made beautifully unreal: of transformation, love, zombies and brothers fired from cannons. They are the stories you have been waiting to read." -- from the back cover


My thoughts:

I enjoyed this collection of short stories in which the odd and familiar live side by side. Some of my favorite stories were "Catskin" and "Magic for Beginners."

Date read: 6/20/2012
Book #: 24
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge 2012
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 000724200X
ISBN-13: 9780007242009
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Year: 2005
# of pages: 271
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan

First sentence:

"Grand Master looked even older than the Squire, but he had a hard trimness that age had not softened, as if he would still be deadly with that sword he wore."


Description:

As unwanted and rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge as the finest swordsmen in the realm—The King's Blades.

A magical ritual of a sword through the heart binds each to his ward—if not the king himself, then to whomever else the monarch designates—with absolute loyalty.And the greatest Blade of them all was—and is—Sir Durendal.

But a lifelong dream of protecting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for the young knight—for a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in treason and foul intrigues, compelled to betray the king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own, but death and madness haunt the path to salvation—and few ever return unscathed.-- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I liked this fantasy about loyalty, friendship, and the dark side of immortality. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Monster War.

Date read: 5/16/2012
Book #: 20
Series: Tales of the King's Blades #1
Challenges: TBR Challenge 2012, Off the Shelf Challenge 2012, New Author Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0380791269
ISBN-13: 9780380791262
Publisher: Eos
Year: 1999
# of pages: 396
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Glass Soup by Jonathan Carroll

First sentence:

"Helen was in trouble again."

Description:

The realm of the dead is built from the dreams--and nightmares--of the living. Octopuses drive buses. God is a polar bear. And a crowded highway literally leads to Hell.

Once before, Vincent Ettrich and lover, Isabelle Neukor, crossed over from life to death and back again. Now Isabelle bears a very special child, who may someday restore the ever-changing mosaic that is reality. Unless the agents of Chaos can lure her back to the land of the dead--and trap her there forever." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed the magical realism in this book. I especially liked how Vincent, Isabelle, Simon and Leni learned to face their fears and how to defeat Chaos's plans.

Date read: 2/6/2012
Book #: 5
Challenges: Off the Shelf 2012, A-Z Challenge 2012
Rating: 3*/5
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0765311801
ISBN-13: 9780765311801
Publisher: Tor Books
Year: 2006
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

Last Mountain by Robert C. Fleet

First sentence:

"How long it has since sunset he did not know."

Description:

Real World

Nancy del Rio is a teenager struggling to grow up in the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles. But Immigration wants to send her away from the only home she's ever known.

Real Magic

For centuries the Unicorn has been hunted for the magic of his horn, but the call of beauty can still draw him from hiding. Now the chase is on for both Nancy and the Unicorn. They are each other's only hope. And only together can they hope to reach...

Last Mountain

My thoughts:

This was a good fantasy book. I liked the account of Cortes in Mexico from the Unicorn's point of view. I also liked Nancy's interactions with her family and Karus, the Rider.

Date read: 1/31/2012
Book #: 3
Challenges: TBR Challenge 2012; New Author Challenge, Whats in a Name 5 Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge, A-Z Challenge 2012
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441000622
ISBN-13: 9780441000623
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1994
# of pages: 288
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Little, Big by John Crowley

First sentence:

"On a certain day in June, 19--, a young man was making his way on foot northward from the great City to a town or place called Edgewood, that he had been told of but had never visited."

Description:

"Edgewood is many houses, all put inside each other, or across each other. It’s filled with and surrounded by mystery and enchantment: the further in you go, the bigger it gets.

Smoky Barnable, who has fallen in love with Daily Alice Drinkwater, comes to Edgewood, her family home, where he finds himself drawn into a world of magical strangeness.

Crowley’s work has a special alchemy - mixing the world we know with an imagined world which seems more true and real. Winner of the World Fantasy Award, Little, Big is eloquent, sensual, funny and unforgettable." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a very good and complex fantasy novel. Though I often felt lost, especially with repeating and similar names, I enjoyed learning about the world of Edgewood, and its inhabitants.

Date read: 12/21/2011
Book #: 24
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 185798711X
ISBN-13: 9781857987119
Publisher: Millennium
Year: 1981
# of pages: 538
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

Unicorn Mountain by Michael Bishop

First sentence:

"Libby Quarrels was standing at the produce bin in the gigantic Safeway grocery store in Huerfano, Colorado, scrutinizing the bell peppers and hefting bag after cellophane bag of brown-edged celery stalks and runty carrots."

Description:

"KAR'TAJAN

Unicorn Mountain is the story of four people whose lives are transformed by a herd of unicorns. Libby is divorced, just getting by and unsure about how to react to the fact that she sometimes sees unicorns. Bo is dying and has no one to turn to until Libby takes him in. Sam is estranged from his wife and child and feels he probably deserved supernatural punishment. Paisley, Sam's daughter, is haunted by a recent personal tragedy.

Into their lives come the unicorns. Sam and Libby have seen them but are unsure of their reality. Then Bo begins to receive television transmission from another dimension that reveal that the unicorns are dying from an equine disease. Someone has to do something here, in this world, to save them...

Written with realism and compassion, Unicorn Mountain is a beautiful novel in which the magic works to make everything better. It is a deeply affecting story about salvation that will lift your spirits - and make you think again." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a very moving book about unicorns, AIDS, and learning new things about oneself and others. I liked how Libby, Bo and Sam gradually got to know each other better over time.

Date read: 7/12/2011
Book #: 18
Challenge: TBR Challenge 2011
Rating: 3*5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0586206175
ISBN-13: 978058206171
Publisher: Grafton Books
Year: 1988
# of pages: 495
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Shattered World by Michael Reaves

First sentence:

"He was running, had always been running."

Description:

"A millennium ago, the Necromancer unleashed cataclysm upon the world. Shattered into a thousand pieces, the fragmented planet is held together only by the great spells of the ancient sorcerers. But in a thousand years even spells grow old. . .

Beorn, a shape changer who is half man, half bear, has fallen into the sinister clutches of Ardatha the sorceress, whose mission requires his skills as a master thief. Her goal: to make Earth whole again. And she will stop at nothing--even the resurrection of the Necromancer--to fulfill her destiny. . ." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

Normally, quest fantasies have the characters trying to save the village or region or their world. With multiple worlds orbiting each other, I found this fantasy novel that much more compelling. I look forward to reading the sequel, The Burning Realm.

Date read: 3/29/2011
Book #: 15
Series: Shattered World, #1
Challenge: TBR Challenge 2011
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0708881718
ISBN-13: 9780708881712
Publisher: Futura
Year: 1984
# of pages: 413
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

The Wizards of Odd edited by Peter Haining

First sentence:

"It was a fine summer morning, the kind to make a man happy to be alive."

Description:

"Wizards and wotsits, swords and sorcery, astronauts and aliens -- all the ingredients of humorous fantasy are packed into the pages of this unique collection.

Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams return to Discworld and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy respectively, with stories first seen in book form in this volume.

Other stars of the genre represented include Brian Aldiss, Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Donaldson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Kurt Vonnegut, and H.G. Wells. Altogether, twenty-four writers have contributed their talents to create the best anthology of humorous fantasy ever published."

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this collection of humorous fantasy stories. Two of my favorites were "Doodad" by Ray Bradbury about a man who learns too late not to underestimate seemingly useless items and "The Rule of Names" by Ursula K. Le Guin about a mysterious wizard and a knight.

Date read: 2/26/2011
Book #: 6
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 1857236351
ISBN-13: 9781857236354
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 1997
# of pages: 298
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

Mister Monday by Garth Nix

First sentence:

"They had tried to destroyed the Will, but that proved beyond their power."

Description:

"Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is supposed to die. But then he meets sinister Mister Monday and everything changes.

SEVEN DAYS. SEVEN KEYS. ONE MYSTERIOUS BOOK. ONE STRANGE HOUSE FILLED WITH SECRETS.

Dare Arthur enter and accept the fate that awaits him within? -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first book of the Keys to the Kingdom series. Iliked how Arthur learned to believe in himself and how he interacted with Suzy and the Will. I look forward to reading the next book, Grim Tuesday.

Date read: 12/23/2010
Book #: 53
Series: Keys to the Kingdom, #1
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge; A-Z Challenge 2010
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0007175019
ISBN-13: 9780007175017
Publisher: Collins
Year: 2003
# of pages: 425
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

Here be Demons by Esther Friesner

First sentence:

"It's your move," said Atamar."

Description:

"The road to hell is paved with bad intentions. . .

But intentions alone are not enough. Hell hates a failure, and the archdemon Atamar has just not been pulling his weight in the competitive world of bad deeds, rotten behavior, and corruption of mortal souls. So he and his team of junior demons have been put on probation--thrown out of the comforts of Hell into the realm of the living. They won't be allowed back until they've collected a fat bonus of innocent souls, fully corrupted and ready to drag down to the Devil himself.

Unfortunately, Atamar has landed in the desert, miles from the nearest known sin--until a team of American archeology students arrives for a summer dig. And when the gleeful demons descend to do their worst, they discover that their idea of bad deeds is sadly out of date--at least when the youth of America is involved!" -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I liked this humorous fantasy about demons and people. I look forward to reading the next book, Demon Blues.

Date read: 8/9/2010
Book #: 43
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Series: Demons, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441327974
ISBN-13: 9780441327943
Publisher: Ace
Year: 1988
# of pages: 233
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page