MacAvoy, R. A.

Average customer rating:

OH, The Potential
Oolong tea
An intrigue of a little story
One of my faves
A Forgotten Treasure

Tea With the Black Dragon
R. A. MacAvoy
Manufacturer: eReads.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1585861979

Book Description

Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter Elizabeth is in trouble, she just doesn't know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact she has had with Elizabeth for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at San Francisco's most luxurious hotel. Yet she has not tried to contact Martha since she arrived, leaving her lonely, confused and a little bit worried. Into the story steps Mayland Long, a distinguished-looking and wealthy Chinese man who lives at the hotel and is drawn to Martha's good nature and ability to pinpoint the truth of a matter. Mayland and Martha become close in a short period of time and he promises to help her find Elizabeth, making small inroads in the mystery before Martha herself disappears. Now Mayland is struck by the realization, too late, that he is in love with Martha, and now he fears for her life. Determined to find her, he sets his prodigious philosopher's mind to work on the problem, embarking on a potentially dangerous adventure.

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Customer Reviews:

OH, The Potential.......2007-06-01

Several people told me to read this book and I did, but, I must admit to a bit of disappointment.
The story line was original and the plot worked but it didn't have the flesh to it. It wasn't satisfying at all. I understand that the next in the series is better but this one fell a bit flat for me.
Also the constant description of the physical attributes of the main characters got to me a bit. I would love to see it re-released but with much more about the Black Dragon and much more interaction between the characters. I didn't hate it, but I expected much more from it.

Oolong tea.......2007-02-02

I read this book as a teenager. The story was so compelling that I have never forgotten what it was about.

I bought as many copies as I could and gave them as gifts to my nieces and nephews... they loved the story as much as I did.. but they still think I am insane for giving them all the same book.

...."wait until they find out there is a part 2" .... (cue mad scientist FX)

An intrigue of a little story.......2006-07-17

This little book is a quick magical read. I agree with the reviewer who said, "It very nearly defies description". It is unlike anything I've ever read, very original. While having said all this, and yes it was delightful, there were a few things that threw me out of the story. The daughter's storyline somehow didn't "fit" with the tale, even the action scenes seemed wrong somehow. And there were just so many unexplained things about Oohlong, and no follow-up. Where do they go from here? It was just a bit too strange for me. But beautiful nonetheless.

One of my faves.......2006-03-14

A fairly short read, Tea with the Black Dragon is a marvel in how it intertwines magic and realism in a modern day setting. The lead characters have a magical charm and real world quality that hold you within the story.

Take a cup of adventure, a cup of mystery, toss in a zen master that is unaware of her lightness of being, and mix with an ancient Oriental dragon. Bake for a couple hours at medium heat in the afternoon sun with a pitcher of lemonade and you have a day-off well spent.

A Forgotten Treasure.......2005-01-03

This is one of the books I share with people I really like. It very nearly defies description. The closest I can come is to say that I know magic when I see it, and this is magic. Mayland Long is an enigmatic oriental gentleman who just might be the human incarnation of a Chinese Dragon. Martha MacNamara is a fiftyish woman who plays fiddle in an Irish jig band, and she just may be the Zen master that Mayland Long has been waiting for. Together, they unravel a mystery that makes San Francisco of the nineteen-eighties seem as sinister and magical as any land ever depicted in a fantasy novel. Tea With the Black Dragon was written twenty years ago, so the computer technology is severely dated, but that doesn't really detract from the story. If you're anything like me, you'll be so swept up in this book that you won't notice anyway.

Jeff Edwards, author of "Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller"

Average customer rating:

An excellent reread...but for the typos
Not MacAvoy's best, but enjoyable. The title is misleading.
Fun and intelligent adventure.
A shame this is out of print -- a fun fantasy
A magical tour of ancient Ireland!

Book of Kells,the
R.A. Macavoy
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553252607
Release Date: 1985-07-01

Customer Reviews:

An excellent reread...but for the typos.......2006-09-20

My copy of this book (published 1985, ISBN 0-553-25260-7) is so full of typos that it initially made the reading very difficult. Add to this the many variations on names - especially Derval O'Keane, who is sometimes referred to as the daughter of "Chadhain" and sometimes the daughter of "Cuhain" and various other things...Luckily the context is pretty straightforward in most of these cases. Anyway, I first read this book when it came out, and have reread it about once a year since then. It's a good read and a quick one.

The only flaw in the story is that MacAvoy frequently writes commentary that is like unexplained foreshadowing (and it's never something that's resolved). For example, John draws a picture of a woman and a bird in a decorated missal, and everyone in the room "wondered if there were something ominous or at least portentious about the sketch." That's the last reference to this drawing (and no, it's not in the Book of Kells). If this event is some subtle reference to a part of Irish history, it's too darned subtle for me. There are 3-4 of these sprinkled throughout the book. I suppose Irish scholars might get it.

Not MacAvoy's best, but enjoyable. The title is misleading........2005-11-13

I loved R.A. MacAvoy's writing since I first read Tea with the Black Dragon. That story is terribly dated now -- it essentially takes place in the world of the personal computer before DOS took over -- but it's engaging, well-written, and (for its time) a believable fantasy. That is, I could easily buy into the author's view of the world.

R.A. MacAvoy wrote several other novels, of which the Damiano trilogy is most memorable. While rating them so that Amazon could give me ever-more-useful recommendations, I realized that I owned the Book of Kells, and I knew that I'd read it... but I could no longer remember what I thought of it. I grabbed it off the shelf, realizing that I'd first read the story in the late 80s, when it came out. And I found that it made a great paperback to take along on a plane trip to a conference that was just a little TOO real.

An easy summary, in a way: our hero is a distracted artist in current day Ireland, accompanied by his sometime lover, a university professor. By a curious device (hey! a literal use of an artistic license!), he opens a portal back to the Ireland of 985 just when a sweet young thing is escaping a horde of bad guys. Hero and Heroine end up back in 10th Century Ireland, and they do their best to (a) save the heroine's honor and (b) find their way back home.

It's all very predictible, really, but MacAvoy makes the tale an enjoyable one, throws in some authentic history, and brings these people to life. The artist is a little bit of a wuss, and the professor is a bit too bitchy at times; it slowed down my engagement with the book, but I still did finish re-reading it in only a couple of days (with a conference mixed in there, too).

Unfortunately, the one thing that the author (or her publisher) screwed up was the title. The Book of Kells is only vaguely related to the story, and it doesn't show up until the final act. Even then, it's far from the linchpin to the story. If you've found this book because you love that piece of art or history... well, I won't say that this isn't the book for you (you'll still like it, I think), but you'll be annoyed and wonder, "where the heck is the Book already?"

Even though it's a reflection of its time, I've re-read Tea with the Black Dragon at least five times in the 20+ years I've owned that slim little paperback. Somehow, I never got around to re-reading this one until now. It'll go back onto my shelf, not into the giveaway pile; on the other hand, I'm not going to press it into the hands of a friend who simply MUST read it.

Fun and intelligent adventure........2004-12-25

Way back in the 1980's, I picked this up at a grocery store for a relaxing beach read. As a teen, I was a cynical bookworm, so I didn't expect much beyond the typical paperback fluff. Hence, I was more than surprised to find this a thoughtful and entertaining novel. What a fun and intelligent romp through Irish culture and history! It's so descriptive, that you can almost smell the pungent characters and surroundings. Very few books make it onto my list of those worth a second read, but I can't even count the ridiculous number of times I've read this book. MacAvoy's balance of adventure, action, horror and humor makes this a novel that keeps me up until the wee hours of the morning every time I read it. If I'm down, it always picks me up. Very realistic characters make this fantasy feel nearly plausible. I don't typically enjoy fantasy, so that's a high compliment from me.

A shame this is out of print -- a fun fantasy.......2001-09-16

This is a superior time-warp fantasy. If you can get one at your used book store, I'd highly recommend it.

A magical tour of ancient Ireland!.......2000-09-24

John Thomburn was a quiet man, drawn to Ireland by its mystery and majesty, and by the solitude it gave him for his art. But then one day, as Celtic pipes played, John opened a portal through time to an Ireland a thousand years earlier, an age of magic, turmoil and bloodshed. There he lost his' heart to Ailesh, a lovely young woman who had seen her family and village ravaged in a Viking raid. Accompanied by Derval, a friend and sometime lover from the present, and Labres MacCullen, a roguish but gifted poet from Ailesh's time, John embarked on a quest for justice that would take him from a miraculous encounter with an ancient goddess, to the barbaric splendor of the court of the King of Dublin, to a holy place at the edge of the world where he would discover an awesome destiny. Filled with vivid history and magical wonder The Book of Kells is a stunning, resounding work, at once earthly and divine, a towering tour-de-force by one of the most acclaimed new names in fantasy.

Lens of the World (Lens of the World Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Marvelous
Lens of the World... much better than I expected!
Highly original work from a master of the genre!
Powerful start to a beautiful trilogy
absolutely brilliant

Lens of the World (Lens of the World Trilogy, Book 1)
R. A. MacAvoy
Manufacturer: ereads.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1585869945

Book Description

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This is the story of Nazhuret, an outcast, a dwarfish offspring of unknown parents. Yet his story is a great one, filled with surprising rewards and amazing adventures. By the hands of Powl, mentor, madman, and lens grinder, Nazhuret is put to extreme mental and physical test and is blessed with knowledge. He embarks upon a journey to his destiny through war, darkness, and death. He is determined to emerge above the tiny status he was given at birth.

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous.......2006-01-11

I read this book so many years ago, yet the memory of it is still with me. It could easily be dismissed as a somewhat unusual fantasy novel, yet it exceeds the genre. This is a deeply intriguing story of mind and morality, with an undercurrent of Zen that seems to run through several of MacAvoys novels. As a coming-of-age story, it is superb. Nazhuret, small, ugly, outcast, could be compared to Miles Vorkosigan. His gentle nature and strength of heart are an inspiration.

Lens of the World... much better than I expected!.......2005-04-29

A great read!

This book, the first in a trilogy, turned out to be a well written fantasy that increasingly held my interest and by the end of it, left me eager to get to the next installment.

The story revolves around the main character, Nazhuret (an interesting gnome like figure who is a lot more that he appears), his travels and his interaction with people and things he meets on his journey. There are several other important people in this tale and Macavoy does a stellar job in developing and introducing them into the plot.

My only niggling complaint is a lack of a map of the area that would have let us to track the adventures of our hero.

All in all, a good fantasy adventure and I'm looking forward to more.

Highly original work from a master of the genre!.......2004-03-04

In this series, MacAvoy has created a highly complex fantasy world with very little sorcery but plenty of sword play, science, philosophy, and mysticism. It is the story of Nazhuret, a strange looking orphan of mysterious origins who finds himself the pupil of an equally mysterious man known to him only as Powl.
Once his time with Powl is done, he sets off on his own and quickly finds himself embroiled in the affairs of others; something Powl has cautioned him to avoid if he wants to be truly free. Nazhuret tries his best to heed this advise after his first encounter with the outside word leaves a bad taste in his mouth. But what kind of fantasy hero would he be were he not somehow the catalyst of major events and circumstances? In his wandering he finds romance with an ambiguous stranger of questionabe morals. He also earns the love and respect of the young king and the contempt of the king's highest ranking noblemen. By the end, the secret of Nazhuret's origins is revealed and the enigma of Powl unraveled in a refreshingly unpredictabe manner.

Powerful start to a beautiful trilogy.......2001-10-24

Lens is the first book of a trilogy entirely set in a "non-Earth" pre-industrial world, and arguably R.A.MacAvoy's best work to date. She creates a powerful story with realistic characters and situations and wastes no words in her elegant storytelling.

The story is about the coming of age of Nazhuret, a natural scientist who is dogged by mysterious happenings that he doesn't particularly want to believe in, as he is converted by his (rather bizarre) mentor into the Lens of the World (a concept that's rather hard to explain). He is let loose on society and becomes a nexus, altering what he come in contact with.

It's hard to spell out why this book is so good, but it's a real original in the Fantasy genre and definitely my favourite series (I read an awful lot of F/SF).

absolutely brilliant.......2001-04-10

Macavoy creates a fantasy story filled with real characters and a wonderfully believable plot. Beautifully written and gorgeously crafted. Nothing like it.

Average customer rating:

Exquisite and Painful
A fine conclusion to this fantastic trilogy

Raphael
R.A. MacAvoy
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553243705
Release Date: 1984-08-01

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite and Painful.......2002-02-14

Reminescent of The Man Who Fell to Earth and Tale of the Body Thief, Archangel Raphael is rendered human by Lucifer. Guided by Damiano and a feisty fellow slave, he struggles to find his place, stranded in a mortal body. He discovers his physical senses and love, in an enlightening journey of wonder and sorrow.

A fine conclusion to this fantastic trilogy.......2000-09-24

Two young people sat quite comfortably on the grassy bank of a stream, leaning against a willow whose ancient body seemed designed for leaning. Plangent water reflected the little green leaves of the willow, including even the tiny round crystals of dew which hung from the leaves, with only artistic distortion, while below the line of the water cool fish brooded, wearing coats of bright enamelwork. On either side of the stream a lawn spread out, tended by cloudy sheep. Other beasts, too, roamed at their graceful will across the landscape: the ox and the wide-horned aurochs, the slouching camelopard, the corkindrill-each animal as fat as a burgher and similarly complacent. None were ragged, none scarred. None raised its elegant head except in wonder at the sweetuess of the air. Of course there were birds, and even in the lacv mass of the willow they sang, regardless of the presence of two or three sleek and platter-faced cats who meditated while resting upon the largest branches, their white, gray, or manystriped tails curled below them like fishhooks trolling the air. Although there were aurochs and a camelopard, and it has been said that these are wary beasts and unsocial, this park which contained them had not the appearance of wilderness. Beyond the copse of fruiting trees on the far side of the river rose a white palace of intricate shape and exquisite proportion, though through distance and the balmy air its exact lineaments were confused. Another more homey sort of house tose closer to hand, on the bank of the stream itself This edifice was square, three stories tall, and also white-sparkling white-except for a roof of red tile and certain tasteful borders of red and gold about the windows.

Average customer rating:

It has left an impression on me for a decade and more
A great trilogy by a writer who does not get enough credit
Unique and Memorable Fantasy Trilogy
And not only that but you'll need a hankie
And not only that but you'll need a hankie

DAMIANO (Damiano Trilogy)
R.A. Macavoy
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Raphael
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ASIN: 0553253476
Release Date: 1984-04-01

Customer Reviews:

It has left an impression on me for a decade and more.......2001-11-14

I recently stumbled across Damiano's Lute and it all came flooding back...being taken to another world from that of my teenage years...so beautifully written. I was immersed completely and wonderfully. Now I will revisit MacAvoy and read anew. Theres just one thing knawing at me - I am not sure where I read about transformations into a tree, eagle and other life-forms..I read other, similar books in the 80's, including The Prince of Hed whose author I can't quite recall??

A great trilogy by a writer who does not get enough credit.......2000-09-24

A string buzzed against his fingernail; the finger itself slipped, and the beat was lost. Damiano muttered something that was a bit profane. "The problem isn't in your hand at all. It's here," said Damiano's teacher, and he laid his ivory hand on the young man's right shoulder. Damiano turned his head in surprise, his coarse black ringlets trailing over the fair skin of that hand. He shifted within his winter robe, which was colored like a tarnished brass coin and heavy as coins. The color suited Damiano, whose complexion was rather more warm than fair. "My shoulder is tight?" Damiano asked, knowing the answer already. He sighed and let his arm relax. His fingers slid limply across the yew-wood face of the liuto that lay propped on his right thigh. The sleeve of the robe, much longer than his arm and banded in scarlet, toppled over his wrist. He flipped the cloth up with a practiced, unconsdous movement that also managed to toss his tangle of hair back from his face. Damiano's hand, arm, and shoulder were slim and loosely jointed, as was the rest of him. 'Again?" he continued. "I thought I had overcome that tightness months ago." His eyes and eyelashes were as soft and black as the woolen mourning cloth that half the women of the town wore, and his eyes grew even blacker in his discouragement. He sighed once more. Raphael's grip on the youth tightened. He shook him gently, laughing, and drew Damiano against him. "You did. And you will overcome it again and again.

Unique and Memorable Fantasy Trilogy.......2000-08-14

I think the reason Roberta MacAvoy's fantasies are not better known is that they are so hard to classify. Is the Damiano trilogy an alternate history of a time when the pope was exiled in Avignon, and the Black Death and the condottiere made life miserable, brutish, and short for almost everyone else? Is it the story of a witch who wanted to be a musician, and his little talking dog? Is it the tale of a struggle between two brothers, who happen to be the Seraph, Raphael and Lucifer, Prince of Darkness?

MacAvoy has a way of bringing me into every scene, using precise language and memorable detail:

"His mind was flooded with the memory of this very pasture in the green of summer, when his father would treat the sheep with tar poultices and incantation. Grass up to his half-grown knees, except where the flocks had cropped it. It had been cool then, in the mountains, but pleasant. Sheep's milk. Napping at midday, surrounded by curious, odorous, half-grown lambs."

I wish MacAvoy hadn't killed off my favorite characters, one by one, but it is a tribute to the power of her writing that I kept reading, anyway. I was hooked. I had to know how her trilogy ended.

If history is fair to fantasy authors, Damanio and his lute and his little, talking dog will outlast all of the overblown 'ologies' of Brooks, Goodkind, and Stephen King.

And not only that but you'll need a hankie.......2000-01-26

I'm happy there are so many wonderful reviews, but surprised that one aspect of these 3 books (published together in this omnibus edition) has not been mentioned yet: Besides enjoying a superior (gently humorous and delightfully vivid) fantasy, you will also be rendered teary at the sad scenes. Until I read these books I didn't think it was possible, outside of a Victorian novel (or William Maxwell's short story, "Thistles in Sweden"), to find oneself wiping away beautifully sad tears. Another bit of clarification: If you can't stand "Wardour Street" medieval fantasies, this isn't one. It's altogether wonderful. Read it, read it, read it!

And not only that but you'll need a hankie.......2000-01-26

Average customer rating:

Sci-Fi...
Not worth it.

Third Eagle, The
R.A. Macavoy
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553283561
Release Date: 1989-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Sci-Fi..........2004-04-20

When the warrior Wanbli came of age, he cast his lot among the stars and left the world where he'd been born. Left it, he thought, forever. His odyssey led him to one ship, then another, and to another still. It brought him face to face with the far-flung members of the universe's Seven Sentient peoples.

And finally, it brought him to the colony ship Commitment. There, Wanbil learned the true purpose of his life...a mission so vital that it required risking the lives of everyone on the ship and the future of his home world. His mission meant returning to that world...but only if he could survive the deadly machinations of those who sought to stop him.

Not worth it........2002-11-23

This is one of the few SF novels I quit reading before reaching the end... when I reached page 200 or so and still nothing interesting or significant had happened, I said, "That's it."

Average customer rating:

Charming fantasy with "horse sense"
From a Connemara Pony enthusiast
Wonderful Story for All Ages ... 9 to 90 will enjoy
Kiss me, I'm Irish
Fairy Tale with a Twist

Grey Horse
R.A. Macavoy
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0553265571
Release Date: 1987-04-01

Book Description

Set against the colorful and magical backdrop of Ireland, The Grey Horse chronicles a time when the Irish people suffered under harsh English overlords who sought to destroy their culture and way of life. Into the Irish town of Carraroe, a magnificent, completely grey stallion appears. The horse brings with him the promise of better times and magical happenings, for he is actually the shape-shifted form of Ruairi MacEibhir, journeyed to such a time of danger in order to win the hand of the woman he loves.

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The small Irish town is puzzled by the arrival of a gentle grey horse and bizarre young man with hypnotic eyes. Quickly one rebellious woman discovers the pair desires just one thing: her.

Customer Reviews:

Charming fantasy with "horse sense".......2004-10-02

I first read R.A. MacAvoy's "Tea with the Black Dragon" many years ago, and it remain one of my favorite books. So I was so glad to see some of her other books being reissued.

The Grey Horse is a lovely, charming fantasy that works on so many levels. Set in an 1881 village in Ireland, it is the story of a fairy horse, Rauri, who falls in love with a village girl and wants to marry her. And yet it is so much more than that!

What could have been a trite, two-dimensional story by another writer comes alive in the hands of R.A. MacAvoy for her characters are alive and vivid. Rauri is not an elegant, ethereal fairy, but an earthy, sometimes confused man who shares much of the stubborness and behavior of the sturdy Connemara pony he often turns into. Not innately clever, he has "horse sense" and a good nature that is very appealing. His heart's desire, Maire, is likewise not the usual fairy tale heroine. She is a big girl, stubborn, and full of fire, not as pretty as her petite sister, but of infinitely more worth.

Underneath the romance between Rauiri and Maire lies the struggle of the Irish people to assert their independence against the English overlords. The struggle of the Irish peasants to keep their connection to their land while dealing with a foreign culture (English) and the struggle of the fairy to fit into a foreign culture (Human) while retaining his deeper and more ancient connection to the land gives the book an interesting dynamic tension.

This book is one of the more interesting fantasies, and will retain a place on my bookshelf for future reading!

From a Connemara Pony enthusiast.......2003-12-14

Not only an engrossing tale, the author's style of writing and word play captivate you from page one and makes you wish for more at story's end. In the middle of my second reading, I find it even more enjoyable the second time around.

Highly recommended.

Wonderful Story for All Ages ... 9 to 90 will enjoy.......2003-08-16

this ultimate 'horse' story. Didn't want the story to end...the sign of a good tale. thank you Ruth!

Kiss me, I'm Irish.......2002-08-10

R.A. MacAvoy, whose debut novel was "Tea with a Black Dragon," has written another charming, but lesser known fantasy called "The Grey Horse." Its story takes place in 1881, in County Connemara, Ireland, during the time when the Irish National Land League was trying to oust foreign (English) landlords and teach the local farmers to stand up for their rights to fair rents and fixed tenure on the land. Irish revolutionaries are an integral part of MacAvoy's landscape, but they enhance the fantasy rather than intrude upon it.

As the novel begins, the old horse trainer, Anrai Õ Reachtaire discovers a púca (fairy horse) on his way to the village of Carraroe. He mistakes it for a strayed Connemara pony stallion, standing alone on a hill, without hobble or halter. The púca kneels, inciting Anrai to mount (what horseman could resist such a fair invitation?), and off they gallop on one of Fantasy's best and funniest wild rides.

Anrai finally manages to throw a rope halter over the pony's head:

"Anrai felt a jolt as through the horse had shied in place. Its sides went as stiff as wood. It hopped and trembled and before Anrai's eyes began to steam. Startled himself by this reaction, Anrai very warily tied the lead rope to both sides of the mouthpiece, making a sort of bridle out of the halter. 'Don't tell me you're a stranger to the old rope halter, my lad,' he whispered gently, close to the horse's ear. He saw a round eye ringed with white, and the long, unkempt yellow tail switched left to right. Anrai had a sinking feeling there would be a fight between himself and this horse on the stones of Knockduff Peak.

"But he had to go home. At this season, there were no more than two more hours of light and likely no visible moon after that. He gave the horse an experimental squeeze of the legs. In perfect obedience it moved down the mountainside."

Once haltered, the púca has to obey Anrai. They canter home, and the old man spends several weeks trying to find the pony's unknown owner. Meanwhile, although he grows fond of the grey, he obeys a hunch to leave its halter on. It isn't until Anrai decides the stallion is really his to keep that he attempts to perform a minor operation on him---he already has two stud horses in his barn and doesn't need a third. He and his stablehand strap the grey into a chute, and Anrai asks for his knife:

"The grey horse gave a convulsion that shook the oak posts, so deeply sunk into stone. The front straps broke, and it rose up screaming, not as the furious chestnut had screamed, but very like a man.

"It stood, and seemed to dwindle, and then toppled over in confusion. It shouted, 'By heaven, man! Look what you are about!' And then there was no horse."
Anrai, in the sudden throes of heart failure, manages to remove his halter from the púca, and the horse-turned-man promptly saves his life.

We learn why the púca, whose name is Ruairi MacEibhir has decided, after many centuries, to return to the haunts of man. He has fallen in love with one of the village women and wants to court her in the guise of Anrai's stablehand.

The courting of Máire NiStandún takes the rest of the book, as she is not sure she wants to marry a sometime-man sometime-horse. The land revolt swirls on around the quarreling couple. Old Anrai challenges a half-English landowner to a match race: the landlord's chestnut Thoroughbred against his grey Connemara stallion. Anrai's no-good son deserts from the British army and slinks home to cause all sorts of trouble. The local priest attempts to baptize Anrai's new stablehand---the púca survives his baptism, although the priest almost doesn't.

Basically, MacAvoy has written a story of life in a small, nineteenth-century Connemara village, with a horse-fairy thrown in to really get the Irish up. Even if you've read every other Celtic fantasy to hit the shelves (there seem to be a million of them), you'll not have found one as entrancing, or as madly Gaelic as "The Grey Horse."

Fairy Tale with a Twist.......2001-12-10

The Grey Horse is one of the standouts in the recent crop of modern fairy tales. MacAvoy explores the same Irish angst that more mainstream writers like Brendan O'Carroll and the McCourt brothers have tackled. However, she avoids bludgeoning the reader with the misery of being Irish. If you don't care for the Big Themes, you can just read it as a love story with a lot of horses.
Around the end of the 19th century, an Irish horse fairy falls in love with a mortal woman and tries to win her affection by assimilating into the communtity. MacAvoy, in exploring the puca's attempts to fit in, reveals how the Irish themselves are estranged in some way from their country and their communtity. Parents don't understand their children, men don't understand women, the gentry fit in with neither the English nor their lower class neighbors, the rural population distrusts outsiders, and so forth.
I liked that the love interest is the strong smart woman instead of the fatuous blond. The story is written for adults, but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to an adolescent. Prissyness info: I can't remember any bad language. A few people get damaged or killed in morally appropriate circumstances. It is mentioned that horses are not monogamous, and women should consider the consequences of certain actions involving men.

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Good work continues.
Pleasant, nothing special

King of The Dead
R.A. MacAvoy
Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Belly of the Wolf (# 3 in Lens of the World (Lens of the World Trilogy)
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Twisting the Rope
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ASIN: 0743498127

Download Description

Book two of the award-winning Lens of the World trilogy, this volume finds the dwarflike Nazhuret a modest and fastidious lens grinder. Although he could have chosen an exalted and wealthy life as a noble member of the court, he wishes to live in humble and undisturbed poverty with his lady Arlin. But the ordinary life that Nazhuret wants is abruptly shattered when a vicious attack by paid assassins forces him to run. With possible enemies on all sides, the only place to go is the neighboring kingdom of Rezhmia, where Nazhuret has an ancient blood-tie. However, he finds that Rezhmia is no safe haven, for dark clouds are gathering there, intent on destruction of the homeland of Nazhuret¿s heart. Evil tidings, treacherous family members and powerful sorcery threaten to overtake him, but Nazhuret must survive for the sake of those he loves.

Customer Reviews:

Good work continues........2001-02-17

The second book of a trilogy is always difficult, but MacAvoy does a good job as she continues the tale of Nazhuret. I really like how she develops the maturing character of her hero. He finds the truth of his heritage and begins to understand & connect with both sides of his background. The book has much to say about love, loyalty & loss in many permutations. I just reread all three and Book 2 certainly holds its own.

Pleasant, nothing special.......1999-12-10

Much like the first book in this 'Lens' trilogy, 'King' is well-written and has one or two fairly interesting characters. Unlike 'Lens', this volume has a plot.

Once again the center of the novel is Nazhuret, reducing everyone else to stick figures. The character of Arlin stays in the background. For the purposes of this book all you need to know is that she's a woman and she'll fight for Nazhuret. Nothing else. The most intriguing character, Powl, is hardly seen.

MacAvoy makes some baffling character decisions. The eunoch whose name I can't remember at one point appears to be in love with Arlin...but it's never revisited. It's never relevent.

Book Description

Quick Look Nursing is a series that provides information from the nursing core curriculum in a very unique format that sets it apart from anything else available. Designed for nursing students in basic-first level degree programs as well as practicing nurses, these essential texts are helpful as course texts or supplements, aids for preparation for course examinations, and as tools to prepare for the NCLEX. These thorough books are organized into short chapters accompanied by comprehensive illustrations of the subject matter, allowing students to grasp a large amount of information quickly, maximizing their study time. Each book in the Quick Look Nursing series offers questions and explanations at the end of each section as a means for accurate and immediate self-assessment. Quick Look Nursing: Pathophysiology is designed to assist nursing students and practicing nurses with basic pathophysiology of common adult health problems likely to be encountered in either the inpatient or outpatient setting. Organized by a body system approach, each section begins with a brief review of anatomy and physiology and includes a listing of diagnostic measures pertinent to that system. With the Quick Look format, common health problems associated with a particular system are discussed and goals for managing them are provided. Chapters within each section focus on major adult health problems with an emphasis on epidemiology of illness, pathophysiological process occurring, and goals for managing the condition. A diagram, chart, or table accompanies each disease process discussed. Written by nurse educators, this exciting text highlights the areas nursing students must know to provide safe, effective nursing care. The format and size of this text make it easy to bring into any clinical setting. Quick Look Nursing: Pathophysiology is designed to provide nursing students and practicing nurses with a convenient, portable reference tool.

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A Trio for Lufte
R. A MacAvoy
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EZ53OY

Product Description

Story of Magic

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