n o t e b o o k s

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Read the definitive edition of Bilbo Baggins? adventures in middle-earth in this classic bestseller behind this year?s biggest movie.

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.

Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo.

Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children?s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Amazon.de-Hörbuchrezension

Dieses aus fünf CDs bestehende Set enthält die beste jemals aufgenommene englische Hörspielfassung von J.R.R. Tolkiens legendärem Roman The Hobbit. Die Macher realisierten das ambitionierte Projekt '68, bemühten sich, das zauberhafte, manchmal ländlich-raue Feeling des Buches möglichst originalgetreu umzusetzen und engagierten dazu die besten Sprecher, Geräuschexperten und Musiker, die in England zu finden waren. Das Ergebnis klingt herrlich ungeschliffen und somit absolut authentisch. Mit späteren, glatt gebügelten Hörspielversuchen haben diese Aufnahmen nichts zu tun, hier wimmelt es nur so von impulsiven Charakteren, wundervollen, kauzigen Stimmen und imposanten Klangeffekten. Neben den Tonträgern (der fünfte versammelt noch einmal gesondert sämtliche Musikstücke der achtteiligen Radio-Ausstrahlung) enthält das sehr liebevoll aufgemachte Set noch eine Mirkwood-Karte und ein Booklet mit interessanten Linernotes von Producer John Powell. Tolkien-Fans, die auch nur halbwegs des Englischen mächtig sind, MÜSSEN dieses Audio-Juwel haben. --Michael Rensen

Amazon.com

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure.

The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader. --Alix Wilber

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Kurzbeschreibung

A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin?s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin?s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A GAME OF THRONES

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom?s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings and a preview of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel.

Aus der Amazon.de-Redaktion

Dieser Titel ist in englischer Sprache.
In Band 1 seiner ersten Fantasy-Saga Das Lied von Eis und Feuer 1. Die Herren von Winterfell erzählt Martin in einer bunten Mischung aus Intrigen, geballter Handlung, romantischen Liebesgeschichten und geheimnisvollen Abenteuern das Leben der Herren von Winterfell. Die Existenz dieses Adelsgeschlechts ist von der durch die klimatischen Veränderungen hervorgerufenen Ausweitung der Jahreszeiten auf bis zu mehrere Jahrzehnte bedroht und hat durch seine menschlichen Perversionen nahezu jeglichen Zauber verloren.

Besondere Raffinesse beweist Martin in diesem ersten Band durch eine ausgefeilte Erzähltechnik, eine großartige Handlung und eine gelungenen Integration seiner politischen Sichtweisen in den Handlungsstrang der Geschichte. Die vielen Charaktere und Perspektivenwechsel mögen auf den Leser zwar etwas abschreckend wirken, doch läßt sich dies in einem mehrbändigen Werk dieser Art wohl nur schwer vermeiden. Aus diesem Grund sollte dieses Werk wohl auch lieber von Anfang an gelesen werden. Sofern sich von diesem Anfang jedoch Rückschlüsse auf den Rest der Geschichte ziehen lassen, lohnt sich aufgrund seines hohen literarischen Wertes, seines Einfallsreichtums, seiner emotionalen Wirkung auf den Leser und der superben Schaffung neuer Welten auch die Gesamtlektüre dieses Werkes.

Amazon.com

Readers of epic fantasy series are: (1) patient--they are left in suspense between each volume, (2) persistent--they reread or at least review the previous book(s) when a new installment comes out, (3) strong--these 700-page doorstoppers are heavy, and (4) mentally agile--they follow a host of characters through a myriad of subplots. In A Game of Thrones, the first book of a projected six, George R.R. Martin rewards readers with a vividly real world, well-drawn characters, complex but coherent plotting, and beautifully constructed prose, which Locus called "well above the norms of the genre."

Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest.

There is much bloodshed, cruelty, and death, but A Game of Thrones is nevertheless compelling; it garnered a Nebula nomination and won the 1996 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. So, on to A Clash of Kings! --Nona Vero

Kurzbeschreibung

A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin?s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin?s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A GAME OF THRONES

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom?s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings and a preview of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel.

Kurzbeschreibung

Amazon Best Seller in Fantasy/Contemporary
Book 2 of the Mageri Series
Adult Urban Fantasy Romance


Months after moving to the mysterious city of Cognito, Silver is developing her gifts as a Mage, and learning how to live under new laws. Forced to give up her old life, she must now live in secret among the humans. She finally has hope of leading an ordinary life . . . until Logan Cross walks into it.

Their chance meeting leads her close to discovering the identity of the nameless Mage who once stole her light and discovered the unique power she possesses. That knowledge poses an unimaginable threat to Silver, fueling her search to find out who he is, before he finds her first.

Lives are at stake. Truths are revealed. And an unexpected passion ignites.

Twist is a 99,700 word novel.

MAGERI SERIES:
STERLING (Mageri Series: Book 1)
TWST (Mageri Series: Book 2)
Book 3 - future release
Book 4 - future release

Kurzbeschreibung

Amazon Best Seller in Fantasy/Contemporary
Book 2 of the Mageri Series
Adult Urban Fantasy Romance


Months after moving to the mysterious city of Cognito, Silver is developing her gifts as a Mage, and learning how to live under new laws. Forced to give up her old life, she must now live in secret among the humans. She finally has hope of leading an ordinary life . . . until Logan Cross walks into it.

Their chance meeting leads her close to discovering the identity of the nameless Mage who once stole her light and discovered the unique power she possesses. That knowledge poses an unimaginable threat to Silver, fueling her search to find out who he is, before he finds her first.

Lives are at stake. Truths are revealed. And an unexpected passion ignites.

Twist is a 99,700 word novel.

MAGERI SERIES:
STERLING (Mageri Series: Book 1)
TWST (Mageri Series: Book 2)
Book 3 - future release
Book 4 - future release

Kurzbeschreibung

When a dragon's skeleton washes up on the lonely isle where Rhis lives, she knows that her past role in the dragon-king's death hasn't been forgotten. But although the dragon-king's heir first comes seeking revenge, he finds something else in her...

A fantasy romance short story of 7,500 words.

Kurzbeschreibung

When a dragon's skeleton washes up on the lonely isle where Rhis lives, she knows that her past role in the dragon-king's death hasn't been forgotten. But although the dragon-king's heir first comes seeking revenge, he finds something else in her...

A fantasy romance short story of 7,500 words.

Kurzbeschreibung

"I agree to pay Sergio Velenci one million pounds if the female takes less than nine days to fully turn."

Lissa's life as a vampire begins on the day her husband is removed from life support. Turned by rogues who wager her life, Lissa is running from her maker who is determined to kill her, hunted by the Council who has branded her a rogue and blackmailed by werewolves, who utilize her newly-developed talents for their own gain.

Kurzbeschreibung

"I agree to pay Sergio Velenci one million pounds if the female takes less than nine days to fully turn."

Lissa's life as a vampire begins on the day her husband is removed from life support. Turned by rogues who wager her life, Lissa is running from her maker who is determined to kill her, hunted by the Council who has branded her a rogue and blackmailed by werewolves, who utilize her newly-developed talents for their own gain.