Helpful Score: 2
I read this book originally back in the 1970s and hadn't realized that I had read it before until I was well into the current reread. I have always liked Heinlein and probably liked this one when I first read it, but I have to say that this novel didn't hold up very well for me. It's kind of a mishmash between fantasy and science fiction and borrows heavily from Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tolkien. The story is pretty outlandish and Heinlein views on sex and politics dominate the theme of the book. He denounces democracy and considers women to be like cats - when they want affection, you better give it to them, if not, leave them alone. Overall, I would recommend rereading one of Burroughs Mars stories rather than reading this drivel again!
This is one of Heinlein's best. But I would say that about any of his works. He had a great imagination and wrote wonderful books. "Scar" Gordon answers a personal ad that promises adventure and travel and requires courage. Of course, he had to apply.
This was a really good book although it didn't seem as much like heinlein's style as most of the books I have read by him this one was very different
Light sci-fantasy with a libertarian/libertine streak. Perfect if you're a 20-something white male who secretly hopes Barbarella will step through an extradimensional portal and ask you to help save the universe.
This is a pretty good yarn about a guy at loose ends who gets caught up in the adventure of a lifetime. If you like Heinlein, yet have never read this one, its worth the time. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Decided to get this book for my 13 year old son, after his father recommended it . He had read it as a teen and enjoyed it. My son truly enjoyed this book.
an interestign read, the whole displaced hero plot (regular american ends up taking a job guarding a fantacy queen) always makes a book interesting and it works well in this book.
The story is pretty good for most of the book. The storyline is good and the writing is quite professional. But most of the end of the book is a platform for the author's philosophizing, which some readers might like. I, personally, was left wondering what the author was going to do with the rest of the pages. But I was interested enough in the characters to stick it out to the end, which gives credit to the book. So, the book is an okay read, but not one of Heinlein's best.
My favorite Heinlein book. Straightforward Space Opera!
Back cover reads: "Where once there had been flames, there remained only secrecy. Forgotten in the hills of Wales, the coven followed the traditions of the goddess and the ways of its ancestors. Through a tangle of deception, magic and a mystery long hoped forgotten, one young woman seeks the truth behind the accident of her birth and the terrors that surround her. Steven William Rimmer's legendary first novel, long out of print, is now available in a new, unabridged edition."
One of the classics of sci-fi.
badly dated, awful writing.
Robert Heinlein wrote it. Nuf Said
This book is by Robert A. Heinlein.
