Temple of the Wind by Terry Goodkind

Richard Rahl has announced that he will stand against Jagang from the Imperial Order. You are either part of Dahara or you are with the Imperial Order. One day to people arrive in town one guy is named Marlin a wizard and another is Sister Amelia. Marlin anounces that he plans to kill Lord Rahl, Cara and Kahlan decide to deal with it. In the mean time the soldiers of Dahara come down with intense Diarreah. Richad goes to the hills to get medicen for the troops in order to stave off the diarreha. While Kara and Kahlan are interviewing Marlin they find out tht is possed by Jagang. After A conrontation that Kills Marlin and injures Cara and Kahaln Marlin gets killed. Cara is seriously injured. Luckily Drefan Rahl shows up and heals her. Nadine an old friend of Richards from the Westlands shows up convicned by Shota the witch that she wil marry Richard is also on hand to help things along.

Jagang has sister Amelia set off a plague that kills children first. Kahlan and Richard are now on a quest that takes them travelling to different places, old texts and prophecies. Zedd and Ann end up as slaves for time but later on are freed. In order to stop the plague Richard must find the Temple of the Wind. A place that was exiled to the underworld by Wizards who felt that magic was corrupting the world and giving wizards too much power. In oreer to find the Temple Richard has to wed Nadine and Kahlan must marry Drefan. Richard finds the Temple but Richard was supposed to marry Kahlan. It turns out that Drefan Rahl is not the healer he was supposed to be. The ending has a happy surprise. Enjoy

The Sorcerer of Saint Felice by Anne Finnin

Michael is about to be burned at the stake in Orleans, France for the crime of sorcery. As the flames are about to engulf him along comes Abbot Francis Duchain to the rescue. Whispering a prayer to the archangel Gabriel, he proceed to call a halt to the execution. A rain storm conveniently arrives to make matters easier.

After being rescued Michael is taken to the Monastery where for or five other monks of the Benedictine order are housed. The monastery is famous for it's wine. Wine steeped in herbs at the right astrological time. It is a wine that heals every malady. Michael ponders on whether to stay or go. To venture beyond the walls is to risk certain death and capture. His prescence there is an annoyance to the authorities that want Michael dead.

Father Francis and company defend Michael three times. First against a bishop and a fellow named Montain who wanted Michael killed. Next and archbishop comes and scrutinizes the entire place. They find nothing.

While being housed at the Monastery Michael does partake in chores. After scouring the Monasteries library Michael find out that Father Francis is the infamous sorcerer Seratois who supposedly drowned in the river Tiber. Michael decide to learn angelic magic from him.

Eventually the authorities do catch up and the good abbot is about to be burned at the stake. I will leave the ending out of this review go read the book.

Ann Finnin has written a very entertaining book that is readable by children and adults. It is especially enjoyable if you are interested in exploring Angleic magic or have some background in Kabballah or the Clan of Tubal Cain.

Well of Ararat

The story is set in pre world war I Northern Iran. Before the Ottoman Turks came there wre many Assyrian and Armenian villages in Northern Iran. This story took place in one of those Armenian villages. The main character of the story is a young man of say 12 years old. He lives in an extended family headed by his grandmother.

It was a tradition in those days for young able bodied men to travel to Russia in ordeer to make money as merchants. Sassoon's uncle Ardavaz was one of those men who had been away for a dozen or so years. He returns at the beginning of the story laden with gifts. Sasson jumped at his a little bit too greedily. This served to strain relations between the young Sassoon and his uncle. This would set the stage for the whole mood of the story.

When Ardavaz returned to village he set out to get married. THe girl he chose was getting water by a well. Marina, was her name, a very pretty girl who was espied at the story's beginning waiting for alover in the forest. A wandering dervish was also coming through abnd it was from this mystic that the young Sassoon first heard about the second gate of life marriage.

The rest of teh story proceeds with wedding preparations. This means buying the gifts the silks, bride price, henna ceremony and bringing the bride from her aunt's village. Enroute from her aunt's village the bride is almost abducted by the son of a village khan. Fortunately the villages forces defeat the Khabns son and he becomes an invigted guest.

THrough out the story there is constant tension between the uncle and Sasson and the Uncle and Marina. MArina is really a reluctant bride. On the wedding night Sasson sees the bride when no male is supposed to see her. THe uncles beats the day lights out of the young Sasson at least two times during the story for communicating with her.

MArina's lover who she really loved was Avaris, also the uncles best friend and best man at the wedding. When the secret comes out the two of them have it out in a duel where one of them is supposed to die. The ending is a sad surprise.

The Prophetic Vision of Merlin by R.J Stewart

Embedded with the History of Kings written by Geoffrey Monmouth is a work of prophecy called the prophecy of Merlin. No one can ascertain whether it came directly from Merlin or was a legend that build up over the years. Author R.J Stewart analyzes the prophecy and looks at it as not only a prophecy but also as a guided meditation then can help the learner attain spiritual enlightenment.

Since the 1980's there has been an explosion of interest in King Arthurian themes. Every thing from literature, films etc. But people have never considered looking into the wisdom of Merlin as a source of enlightenment.

Merlin's plan was at first for the individual to attain enlightenment for him or herself then have the enlightenment spread over to the national whole. The final part was the dissolution of Arthur's kingdom. This happens when Merlin is asleep. In reality though it is we who are asleep.

The prophecy of Merlin begins with the Evil King Vortigern who rules over Britain with the help of Anglo Saxon mercenaries. His sorcerers advise him to build a tower on a hill so as to avoid being assassinated. As Vortigern build his tower it alway sinks into the ground. To remedy this Vortigern has to find a boy who has no father and kill him. Once the boy is killed his blood will be sprinkled on the stone. Merlin is found in a town arguing with another boy. When Merlin is brought to Vortigern, Merlin tells him that underneath the foundation there is a pond with two stone. Underneath this pond are two dragons. One is read and one is silver. Red equals the Briton while the silver one is the Anglo Saxon. Once released the two dragons begin fighting. Merlin does predict that eventually the silver dragon will win.

Later on Merlin predicts Vortigerns down fall as Ambrosius and Uther come from Rome to defeat him and drive the Anglo Saxons away. Uther later becomes king and Merlin engineers the birth of Arthur and the rise of Camelot. THe prophecy continues well into the future noting political event that will transpire. In the end the animals rise up and start hunting human and the universal order is turned upside down.
Merlin predicts the end of Druidism and the eventual conquest by the Anglo Saxons.

When the cosmic order goes awry the Goddess Ariadne is locked behind the gates to the other world and hides herself beyond the veil. The guardian stops those not worthy of getting through for beyond the gates is enlightenment and or death. Enlightenment is the death of the false self. Beyond Aridne is the original four elements that formed the universe.

Merlin is one of three types of journiers to the fairy world. He is the type that journeys to the underground and does not come back. Thomas Rhymer stays in faery land for seven years and comes back as a bard. He traveled to another dimension. Another person a reverend came to fairy land and returned being of service to mankind.

I look forward to reading more of RJ Stewart's books. I found the book difficult to follow at time. It seems he has a habit of jumping around or going off on related tangents. RJ Stewart is very knowledgeable and I would like it if he wrote more about different technique in addition to just theory.