The Black Throne, by Fred Saberhagen and Roger Zelazny

pros: the authors; the story idea; story moves along quickly; twist on magic and parallel worlds; explanations for some of Poe’s elements in poems, like the tapping and the raven and the cask of Amontillado

cons: sketchy details; seems hastily written; not familiar with Poe’s body of work; resolution was weak

misc: Edgar Allan Poe; alcoholic; alcohol; ghost ship; sea voyage; balloon voyage; vortex; plague; dwarf; orangutang; zombie in wine box; very small wineglasses; sandcastle; alchemy
ISBN 0743435796; 288pp; pub. 2002
Amazon link

September 19, 2007 - Posted by cecim | action, All book reviews, alternate identity, children, dark, fantasy, fast-paced, historical setting, magic, mercenaries/soldiers, mystery, necromancy, parallel worlds, sea or sea creatures, strong female, violence, zombies

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Brief reviews with keyword categories

Click on a particular category name to see books I’ve read that have that element. Click on “All Book Reviews” for a listing of all reviews. The pros and cons are notes to myself and should be read with that caveat in mind.

As a voracious reader, I have read so many books I am finally forgetting critical details—like whether or not I’ve read a book before, or the title and author. These posts are my online database so I can keep track of what I am reading and maybe I will be able to use the categories to cross-reference and help jog my memory.

As time goes by, I will be adding references to books in my library or favorites from past reading. There should be links back to Amazon in case a viewer wants to buy a particular book or read user reviews. I try to link to the specific binding that I read, but this isn’t always possible.