Kirjahaku

Promised Valley Rebellion, the first book in the Promised Valley series of four novels by Ron Fritsch, is a story of forbidden love. The farmers' king refuses to allow the marriage of the coming-of-age prince to the daughter of the farmer who saved the king's life in the last war with the hunters. Her brother decides he has to help his sister and the prince, his boyhood friend, correct the flagrant injustice.That decision leads them and their allies into a youthful rebellion against the king and his officials, who rule the kingdom from their bluff-top town. The far more numerous farmers in the villages below, who despise the officials but not the king, and who admire the prince, are in a position to determine whether the rebels will succeed or face execution for treason.Kirkus Indie Reviews: "The story is very likely as old as human civilization. It encourages the reader to ponder the universal elements of the tale. A strange, primitive world that feels winningly real."Feathered Quill Book Reviews: "Promised Valley Rebellion explores human differences in many forms-physical, psychological, and cultural-with keen insight and tasteful honesty. Fritsch develops his characters with sensitivity and depth, and their youthful optimism and enthusiasm ring so genuine that only the most cold-hearted reader could resist rooting for them. Shining through the simple but expressive prose is an underlying affection for the human condition: vulnerable, frequently confused, but always capable of great heroism and love. This is ambitious fiction, at once entertaining and bursting with thought-provoking allegory."The US Review of Books: "Fritsch's is a good tale that feels real, with a strong promise and a good twist at the end. A good book to read by the fire in wintertime, Fritsch presents us with a primitive society, in the manner of Jean Auel's books, but with much more compassionate characters."Reader Views: "You'll enjoy Promised Valley Rebellion] if you like in-depth characters, a mystery that's not easily solved, and a subtle twist that could change everything."Promised Valley Rebellion was the winner of the gold medal in the Literary Fiction category of the 2010 eLit Awards competition, the first-place winner in the Gay and Lesbian and Transgender Fiction category of the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards competition, and the winner of the silver medal in the Historical Fiction category, as well as a finalist in the General Fiction category, of the 2011 Readers Favorite Awards competition.

Promised Valley War is the second book in Ron Fritsch's four-novel Promised Valley series set in prehistoric times.Blue Sky, the farmer's son who led the rebellion in the first book, and Wandering Star, the young hunter who became his lover, realize they and their peoples will suffer for the high treason they knowingly commit every moment they spend together, "consorting with the enemy." They, along with the others among their peoples most curious about their "eternal" enemies and most willing to treat them as their equals, nevertheless set the stage for what they've feared more than anything else: another horrifying war.Reader Views: "It is the story's prehistoric setting that provides the basis for the intellectual question which binds the Promised Valley books together: 'Could civilization and history, with their countless heaven-sanctioned wars and genocides, have begun differently' With that as his touchstone, Fritsch thoughtfully and compassionately offers answers through the story and its characters. In writing this multi-faceted novel, Fritsch masterfully layers and blends several literary devices-intellectual twists and turns, enigma, allegory and parable-to create a story rendered in both intricate detail and simple wisdom. Even through the vivid telling of epic war and death, Fritsch employs both fantasy and genuineness to connect with and uplift the reader. While Promised Valley War is an adventurous tale on its surface, it is not what it seems to be; it is much more. For me it was a book of revelations. For anyone who has never lost their child's heart and imagination, Promised Valley War will compel them to consider all that the book has to say to them. That's what unforgettable books do."Kirkus Indie Reviews: "The author's well-rendered descriptions of the creeping onslaught of war and winter give the reader a visceral feel for the endangered paradise that can occur despite the best intentions of the best people, and readers will be surprised by the twists he gives his tale. Alongside the careful plotting and natural-sounding dialogue, there's a refreshing amount of deeper resonances in the Promised Valley series, a steady undercurrent of commentary of the present day. The treatment of the young hero Blue Sky's attraction to other men, for instance, is straightforward but nonconfrontational, and characters at several points grapple with their society's primitive theology. 'Could gods who were good-hearted allow humans to go to war with one another' the narrative at one point asks. ' I]f they, like humans, had no choice in the matter, why did humans call them gods'"Feathered Quill Book Reviews: "Promised Valley War is an imaginative and well-crafted piece of fiction. The plot features plenty of action and unexpected twists and turns. The balance of suspenseful battles, sweeping scenery, and interpersonal drama would undoubtedly be a satisfying mix on the big screen. Are you listening, Hollywood?"The US Review of Books: "With lyrical description, historical era awareness and an understanding of human motivation, Fritsch brings to life a prehistoric world. Written with tenderness and vivid detail, this prehistoric Romeo and Juliet tale adds complexity and variety to the bard's tale as well as to the author's first novel in the series, Promised Valley Rebellion."Promised Valley War was the first-place winner in the Gay/Lesbian Fiction category of the 2011 Reader Views Awards competition, the winner of the bronze medal in the Literary Fiction category of the 2011 eLit Book Awards competition, the winner of a finalist medal in Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Fiction category of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards competition, the winner of the silver medal in the Action Fiction category of the 2012 Readers Favorite Awards competition, and a finalist in the Gay and Lesbian and Transgender Fiction category of the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards competition.

The neighbors tell Kurt his grandfather, who has been his guardian since he was four years old, committed a series of crimes to acquire his farm. In this coming-of-age novel, Kurt needs to know if the neighbors' stories are true. The crimes they say his grandfather got away with include fraud, forgery, arson and murder.

Who murdered Hamlet's father? Hamlet decided the killer was his uncle Claudius. After all, as a result of the assassination, Claudius became Denmark's king. But did Hamlet get it right? And what about those other high-ranking persons, including Hamlet and Claudius, who ended up dead? Would Ophelia, the lord chamberlain's daughter Hamlet was in love with, know?(The Lord Chamberlain's Daughter does not require any familiarity with Shakespeare's Hamlet.)

Did Helen choose to run off to Troy with Paris, or did he force her to go with him? Two orphans of the Trojan War, the tragic conflict Helen's elopement or abduction precipitated, search for the answer to one of the oldest questions in history-and discover much more.