Regions at Risk: Comparisons of Threatened Environments (Unu Studies on Critical Environmental Regions)

Book Description

Helpful hints for everyone on enjoying and exploring the American desert.

Customer Reviews:

Concise and well written.......2003-12-31

A very concise and well written book that gives good advice and tips.

I live and hike in Arizona and all of Mr. Grubbs' suggestions are consistent with all the things I have learned over the years. Plus, I learned a couple of tips that I will use in the future.

I will read this book before any extended hiking trip in the desert or just periodically to keep all the tips and advice fresh in my memory.

Book Description

Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime. Meliara is summoned to live at the royal palace, where friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting-with wits and words and secret alliances.

In war, at least, she knew in whom she could trust. Now she can trust no one.

The Firebird edition of Crown Duel combines the hardcover editions of Crown Duel and Court Duel-and features a never-before-published story by Sherwood Smith!

"A fantasy world fit for the most discriminating medieval partisan." (Publishers Weekly)

Customer Reviews:

She gets caught...then she gets saved over and over..........2007-09-28

I will admit to you that I have not read this entire book. Infact I've only made it to the very beginning of Part 2 and I am disappointed. Sherwood Smith has always been interesting to me. I am now reading the book: Inda and I think that it is very enjoyable...
But on the cover of this book is a girl, scratched and bruised with a sword in hand. Now when I pick up a book with a cover like this and reviews that are four stars or higher I expect to find some action - this is no action in this book. Nor is there any suspence.
Now please I know that I haven't read part 2 and that Part 2 may be the climax of the story so no offense to anyone that enjoyed this book.
I thought that it had potential but the only thing I read was Mel (the main character) getting captured, sleeping for days on end and then waking up to somebody saying, "Drink this, my lady." or something of that sort.
Try some books by Sherwood Smith but I don't suggest you reading this book...

Sorry for the low stars but I just expected better.

Happy Reading!

Good book for teens.......2007-09-24

Crown Duel is a pretty clean read - wih no sex, scenes of intense violence or other material usually featured in fantasy novels. The story commences well, with an underlying, slowly developing romance. There are a lot of silly parts. The main character, "Mel," is developing into a woman. And it really doesn't happen overnight. She is gaining alot of emotional maturity (as time goes by) but suffers many emotions I certainly felt myself as a teenager, and that take time to grow out of. From an adult perspective, I enjoyed Mel's character and the things she learns, but didn't identify with her as much as my younger self would of.
Alot of the storyline is summarized instead of artfully written - creating a flatter, less intense story. I read and kept reading because it was interesting, and because there was a lot of action to keep me turning the page - but the writing style needs a lot of polishing.
Part 1 and Part 2 really are like two very seperate books, as the description says they were originally published as. Not really sure why they were combined into one, except that part 1 had a pretty unsatisfactory ending.
The little short story at the end is pretty silly, but honestly very realistic: having been pregnant, that is pretty much how it feels (crying, happy, sad, all at once). It's too short even for a short story - just a few thin pages - maybe to give the book more of a "happy ending" feel?
Mel might be a better character to read about from third person-a little space can go a long way.

Huyen.......2007-09-17

This book is awsome. I love it. I thought the details she wrote in this book were amazing. You read through the book and you can picture what the scenes are going to be like. I love all the characters and the action. The action in this book is awsome! I would definately recommend this book to anyone who likes court tricks, swords, duels, king/queen/prince and so on. Its fast and fun/easy to read. Grasps your attention right away. I love it. ESPECIALLY the second part/Court Duel. I LOVE IT!

Staggeringly Unsatisfying.......2007-08-15

I found CROWN DUEL to be a long series of anti-climaxes. Again and again, our heroine is backed up into a corner, only to be rescued at the last moment. No matter how much circumstances change through the novel - as Meliara transforms from a barefoot countess to a noble with fearsome allies and power of her own - the pattern stays the same. Things get so bad that the protagonists find themselves helpless, hamstrung, and unable to act - and then some third party steps in at the crisis and poof, everything's ok again.

I was also disappointed with the character of Meliara - she is supposed to be, I believe, one of those strong-woman-warrior types, a female leader, a heroine. At first, I thought that we were witnessing her growing pains - the frequently idiotic behavior of a courageous girl on her way to becoming a battle-tested and truly admirable woman. Except she never grew up, and I had to abandon that notion. I don't think it's a coincidence that at the end of it all, Meliara's major success is throwing a fine party. Which is nice and all, but not really heroine-caliber.

The romance was similarly botched. Meliara gets a secret admirer, who courts her indirectly. This develops well enough. But the secret admirer is a real person, and his face-to-face relationship with Meliara remains so static that when the final reveal finally came along I didn't really buy it. Once again, it's too easy - Meliara recognizes her admirer in the flesh, all other troubles are swept aside, and poof, happy ending.

My favorite part of a good story is reading about the ingenious way that a protagonist solves some knotty problem or other - political, magical, romantic. I like the imagination, the strategy, the hard choices involved. I felt like I was consistently denied that payoff here, and I was really disappointed.

Courtly Intrigue - Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review.......2007-08-12

Well-worn. Dog-eared. Falling apart at the binding. These are all ways to describe my poor copy of Crown Duel. Once published as two books, Crown Duel and Court Duel, Firebird Fantasy reprinted them in 2002 as one, a very wise decision as the two stories are only halves on their own. Together the two books create a heroic tale of Mel as she leads a rebellion as a bare-foot countess, to her attempts to survive the deceptions of royal court life. I must admit, though, to loving the second book the most, and have often been tempted to just reread Court Duel, but in the end, I always want the full tale, and begin at the beginning, as any great journey should.

The first book chronicles Mel, as she and her brother, Bran, fight off an invading army sent by their greedy king. Leading a group of hastily-trained villagers, Mel employs sneaky tactics (such as harassing all night or flooding the enemy camp) to hold off the invading army. When Mel ends up injured and captured by the enemy, she is taken by the Marquis Shevraeth to the king, and sentenced to die if she doesn't surrender. Escaping, she leads them on a cross-country chase, is rescued by the Marquis, and forced to realize that while her ideas might be noble, her methods are less than successful. Feeling defeated, she retreats back home after the king dies, convinced she lost the battle.

Into the second book we go, as Mel is dragged off to court by her brother, still feeling defeated for not keeping her promise of making the kingdom a better place. At court, she finds a new kind of battle, navigating the graces and deceits of those who have been schooled as courtiers all their life. As the former king's sister and family make trouble and Mel deals with her `enemy' the Marquis being decided as the new king, Mel still manages to save the kingdom and realize love in a place she was afraid to look.

Sherwood Smith has created a world full of tiny details that form a living world. From the unique hour keeping, using colors and candles to keep time, to the detailed language of fans that the courtiers use to display their true words while trapped in the court of a corrupt king, the reader will find themselves in a vivid setting, experiencing Mel's journey with her.

I'm rather indifferent towards the cover of Crown Duel. In some senses I like it, but I also feel that it isn't all that interesting. It certainly wasn't the main element that led me to read the book.

Here's a quick lesson in cover design. Look at the books that you own, note how many have people on the cover. Now note how many of those people are looking straight at the reader. That's a way to get an instant connection with the potential book buyer while at the store. Take a look at the books facing out next time you go. I have also noticed that many YA male/non-gender books feature symbols or abstract covers, while ones aimed at girls more often use a female looking to the reader.

Crown Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book I

Average customer rating:

Awful
Pretty good YA fantasy
great fantasy book
Really Good!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crown Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book I
Sherwood Smith
Manufacturer: Jane Yolen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0152016082

Amazon.com

A girl in Remalna traditionally spends her Flower Day being feted, dancing with friends, and celebrating her passage to womanhood. Countess Meliara spends hers on the front lines of a war. She and her brother promised their dying father to free Remalna from the oppressive rule of Greedy Galdran and to preserve the vital Covenant with Remalna's aloof, unhuman Hill People. Courageous, stubborn Meliara, honorable and sharp-tongued, is determined to win or die fighting, and her hardships, uneasy alliances, and fondness for daring (foolhardy) tactics make anxious, unstoppable reading.

Book Description

A deathbed promise to their father sends a daring girl and her brother off to war. Filled with intrigue, romance, and magic, this spellbinding novel is a dramatic coming-of-age story about a girl who rises from impoverished beginnings to take command of her own fate. “Smith tells a fast-moving tale of adventure, intrigue, and honor, with Mel a likable heroine and a lively narrator.”--Booklist

Customer Reviews:

Awful.......2007-06-28

This book was so bad that I actually keep it on the shelf so that I wont forget the author's name or the writing style. Nothing seemed coherent in this novel and the dialogue was awful.

Pretty good YA fantasy.......2005-11-14

I have to agree with the editorial reviews above; this book is somewhat predictable and the plot is a bit trite (when a male & a female character bicker throughout the whole book, we all know what's going to happen at the end, right?). However, the characters are well-developed and the world is richly detailed, with a unique culture and customs.

As a 20-year-old English major and a connoisseur of young adult lit (it being the only section of the university library I can find my way around in), I'd recommend it for fans of YA girl-oriented fantasy. Anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, or Robin McKinley should be satisfied with this series.

While this book has more action, I preferred the sequel, Court Duel. It's a bit hard to find unless you know what you're looking for - it's very hard to find on its own, but can be found bundled with Crown Duel in one volume, confusingly titled Crown Duel. It appears Amazon has finally cleverly changed it to "Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird) (Paperback)," which clarifies things. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the story.

great fantasy book.......2005-07-26

A great fantasy story of Meliara. She swears to her father on his deathbed that she will reclaim the kingdom, which was once her mothers, and she will reclaim it from the greedy King Galdran. This leads her village to a war against the king and will threaten the lives of the people and their homes. This is a great book for fantasy lovers and people who love stories about court life.

Really Good!.......2005-07-20

I love this book. Mel is strong, but believable. You can really relate with her even if you don't always think she is doing the right thing. I could not put this book down, and i did not want to!It is very well written and by the end of the book you feel like you have known Mel your whole life. As if you were there when all these things happened. Great,Great,Great Book!

Court Duel the sequel, is just as good!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-06-24

I loved this book, even my mom liked it! We liked it so much we had to read the next one. This duet is awesome. I would recommend this book and its sequel to anyone interested in books about a girl who sets out to save her country and in doing so finds something totally different.- OOPS!!- I said to much, you will have to read it to get more info!!!

Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II

Average customer rating:

Totally worth it!
Couldn't stop reading it,but it wasn't great
great sequel
Great Book!
Wow!

Court Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book II
Sherwood Smith
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0152016090

Book Description

The stirring sequel to Crown Duel finds young Meliara at the center of a deadly court intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Totally worth it!.......2005-12-14

When I read the Crown Duel (which is equally as good as this one!), I had to read this book. But I was sadly disappointed when I found out that this book was out-of-print and too expensive (how about $75.00?!)...but I eventually found a copy and I read it in about 3 hours, almost nonstop! I loved it...

When Meliara's brother, Bran, shows up in Tlanth unexpectely with his fiance and the person Mel disliked most, she is to be soon caught up in a dizzying whirl of flirtation, politics, and letters from an Unknown. Not to mention the secret plot against the Hill Folk-- again.

Although I wasn't really surprised who her Unknown was, it was really romantic the way he told her! I loved it. I gave the books to my mother to read as well, and she also liked them a lot. She couldn't stop reading them either. I really liked the way she was confused about her feelings...especially about Shevraeth! (I still call him that, I can't get used to his name being Vidanric!) It didn't have as much sword and fighting action, but the romance totally made up for it. I know it costs a lot, but it's so worth it--you'll LOVE it!

Couldn't stop reading it,but it wasn't great.......2005-09-11

Admitedly, as soon as I started reading this book I could not put it down, I read it in about three hours, only pausing to eat dinner. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it the best book I've ever read? No.

Mel goes to court and becomes a popular lady with many suitors. All the while she is trying to decide if Shrevraeth (was that his name?) would make a good king or if this other woman whose name I fail to recall would be a better leader. That part of the book wasn't very exciting and I felt that Mel wasn't doing very much good.

Let's be honest. The only reason people stuck around was to read about the developing romance between Shrevraeth and Mel. We endure 200 pages of Mel trying to convince herself that she hates him. How will things turn out between them? Who is the mysterious suitor sending her letters? Hmm..

Yes this book was very predictable and the conclusion was a bit dull. I know I sound very negative but I did like this book. It just didn't astound me with it's brilliance like it did for some other reviewers.

I am sounding lucid? I'm tired and don't want to keep writing.

Yes anyway, I liked the book. It was good but not wow, yippee, this is the greatest book ever, good. At least not to me.

great sequel.......2005-07-26

The equally interesting sequel to crown duel. Mel is invited to the royal palace to be with her brother and finally decides she will go. When she gets there she finds out that friends and enemies look alike and intrigue is everywhere. She must learn to fight with wit and words. At the palace she also learns that love can be confusing but wonderful. This story is just as good as the first if not better.

Great Book!.......2005-07-20

Sherwood Smith did it again with Court Duel the sequel to Crown Duel.It doses not have the same amount of action sences as the first book, but what it is missing in that department, it makes up for in romance. In one review i saw, it said that you don't even have to read the first book, this is true, however in order for you to get the deeper meaning of the things that Mel and the other charecters do and say, i suggest reading the first one too, which is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Wow!.......2004-12-30

This book was amazing! I'm itching to read more!
Meg is practically and expert on war and battles, but she is totally unprepared for life at Court which is a battlefield itself. Though there is no swordfighting, there is definetly fighting with fans and fashion! If you liked the first book, then you should read this one. I really enjoyed this book...it was fantastic!!

Average customer rating:

Duel for the Crown
N. Harman
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

History of Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Book Description

From the searing heat of Australia, through the dust of Paris, Wimbledon's grass to the battle indoors on the road to Hanover, the annual tennis tour is one of the most gruelling in sport. Neil Harman follows the top two British tennis players as they battle for world-ranking places and the British number one spot.

Sports Illustrated June 21 1993 Head to Head Chicago and Phoenix Duel for the Crown

Average customer rating:

Sports Illustrated June 21 1993 Head to Head Chicago and Phoenix Duel for the Crown
Sports Illustrated
Manufacturer: Time Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RRG1HM

Average customer rating:

Decent book, good facts

Triple Crown Duel
M. Thomas
Manufacturer: Fearon/Janus/Quercus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0822429438

Customer Reviews:

Decent book, good facts.......1999-05-01

A comprehensive glance at sports and the fight for the first. Generally a good start, and a good book.

Average customer rating:

Court Duel The Crown & Court Duet, Book II
Sherwood Smith
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJYCG0

Average customer rating:

Crown Duel
Sherwood Smith
Manufacturer: Jane Yolen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJSHDY

Sports Illustrated Magazine June 21 1993 Head to Head Chicago and Phoenix Duel for the Crown

Average customer rating:

Sports Illustrated Magazine June 21 1993 Head to Head Chicago and Phoenix Duel for the Crown
Sports Illustrated
Manufacturer: Time Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LCPKNY

Book Description

Biological control is among the most promising methods for control of pests (including vectors), diseases and weeds. In this book ecological and societal aspects are for the first time treated together. In an ecological approach the aim is to evaluate the significance of certain biological properties like biodiversity and natural habitats. Also, it is important to see biological control from an organic (or ecological) farming point of view. In a societal approach terms like ‘consumer’s attitude’, ‘risk perception’, ‘learning and education’ and ‘value triangle’ are recognised as significant for biological production and human welfare.

Average customer rating:
Discoveries by chemists: A history of the chemistry departments of the University of Adelaide, 1885-1984
Rupert J Best
Manufacturer: University of Adelaide Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0731612477

Average customer rating:

Excellent Resource

A Rose by Any Other Name Is a Thorn

Spreading the Word: Editors on Poetry

Manufacturer: Bench Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The Whole Story: Editors on Fiction : A Collection of Essays and Stories

Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, Second Edition

Mark Twain: Collected Tales, Sketches, Speeches, and Essays: Volume 2: 1891-1910 (Library of America)

Sudden Fiction

In the Bedroom: A Screenplay

ASIN: 0930769155

Product Description

In these essays, the editors of twenty literary magazines describe the practice of selecting poems for publication. Written especially for this collection, each of the essays combines practical information with insightful commentary on the nature of writing and editing, and contains an exemplary poem by a contemporary poet. Of interest to those who consider sending out their poems for publication as well as students, teachers, and poets in search of reliable information for creative writing courses.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Resource.......2007-06-06

I am so glad that this particular book was assigned for my graduate course work. Spreading the Word provides a nice variety of editors and their opinions on what makes "good", and/or more fitting, publishable poetry.

This is a great resource for anyone who is planning on submitting their poety. I think you can gain no matter what level of publication success you are currently in.

Overall the opinions said there is no magic formula, the poems must somehow speak, make you feel, and you really need to read A LOT of poems in general but particularly in the journal you are submitting too.

Again, excellent resource and a quick and easy read.

A Rose by Any Other Name Is a Thorn.......2002-04-17

Finally, the tables have turned. In Spreading the Word: Editors on Poetry, the editors of 20 literary magazines are assigned the task of writing a piece on the "editorial decision-making process, including the relationship between the editor and the poet, problems encountered in the reading process" - and selecting "for complete reprinting [an exemplary] poem that originally appeared in his or her magazine...."

And they had to submit it by deadline.

The editors not only rise to the occasion, but as the book's compilers point out in their introduction, they deliver "an unusual hybrid of the practical and the theoretical."

From there, the book unfolds, beginning with the most stayed and true literary magazines in America, starting with the Sewanee Review, which has been publishing poetry continuously for 109 years. Its editor, George Core, recommends poets "get on with the job, no matter how small or grand, and not waste your time and an editor's by sending out inquiries."

In addition to providing a forum for some of the most significant poets of our day and age, literary magazines can be a proving ground. Neal Bower's poem, "Notes from the Morticians' Convention," for example, was picked up by Harper's after first appearing in the Sewanee Review.

And there is plenty of advice here on how to prove yourself. Dave Smith of the Southern Review estimates they receive more than 20,000 poems a year. When considering poetry for publication he says he looks for a "sense of weight, significance, power, scope, and, more than anything else, repeatability...." But if the cover letter that accompanies the work "tells me how much I will enjoy the material, gives me a plot summary, offers me serial rights, or mentions multiple submission, I reach for the author's stamped return envelope and I read no further."

In addition, he says he is "unmoved by poems without a story, a language of intensity and character, an interesting speaker, some matter of crisis in human endeavor," and he avoids poems "that experiment with the keyboard as if no one had heard of e. e. cummings, that grasp my lapels with their righteousness."

His comments - and others like them - echo throughout the book.

Christopher J. Windolph of Carolina Quarterly says, "Assuming what I read may be unfinished, I try to answer this question first: Has the poet completed what he or she wants to say? Many poems draw my attention, but finding a poem in which every single word is perfect beyond question is a rare, exceedingly delightful event."

The late Hale Chatfield has been there. In founding Hiram Poetry Review, he says he and co-editor Carol Donley decided that "We would take only those poems which were delightful to read."

He tells this story of how he arrived at standards for the magazine: "A couple of summers ago I was asked to prepare for a writers' conference panel, a statement on the subject 'What makes a good poem?' At first I was indignant, even angry. It seemed obvious to me [that] if I knew what 'makes a good poem,' I'd sit down then and there and make lots of them to advance my own fortune and reputation. But I wanted to do a good job for the writers' conference people, so I decided to take the question at least half seriously. I'm glad I did. I searched my mind and came up with the checklist I've unconsciously used to select poems all these years: (1) I want a poem to be unique; (2) I want it to be competent; (3) I want it to be concise (I want to have the feeling that every word is necessary, that no word or phrase is there just for padding); perhaps above all (4) I want the poem to be filled with adventure."

The example he includes as a poem that meets all these requirements is Rawdon Tomlinson's "Fat People at the Amusement Park," which is flawless, and based on his contribution to the book, Chatfield's passing was truly a sad day in literary history.

Our hats should be off to the lot who are in this book, for as David Baker of the Kenyon Review points out, "literary magazines are typically staffed by a very few people (often unpaid, or poorly so) who do an ungodly amount of work, only part of which work involves reading, selecting, and editing manuscripts."

It's sad, but true: The majority of those who are working on the front lines of literature are doing so mainly out of a labor of love.

But the work is not without its rewards. As Marion K. Stocking of Beloit Poetry Journal points out, "The possibility of discovering...poets and...poems makes opening those dozen or so envelopes every day an adventure, even after half a century."

Average customer rating:
Spreading the Word: Editors on Poetry.

Manufacturer: Bench Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Sudden Fiction

Glengarry Glen Ross

Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, Second Edition

ASIN: 0930769104

Book Description

Essays. Poetry. In this unique book, now back in print, the editors of eighteen literary journals shed light on the editorial process, focusing on a specific poem each has chosen to include in his or her publication. Written especially for this collection, these essays shed light on the difficult reality that, "for better or worse, there is no editors' muse."

Average customer rating:

Spreading the Word: Editors on Poetry

Manufacturer: Bench Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Journalism | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0930769090

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