The Narcissist You Know PDF Free Download

The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me Age Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Joseph Burgo ID: B014LPK7HU

In the tradition of The Sociopath Next Door, clinical psychologist Joseph Burgo’s The Narcissist You Know is a guide to help you identify, disarm, and coexist with extreme narcissists. In today’s social media and selfie-obsessed culture, we are living in an age of narcissism – and a society that often celebrates this potentially harmful trait rather than understanding it as a psychological disorder. Scientists are beginning to learn that narcissism exists on a spectrum – much like autism – and most of us exhibit some mild narcissistic tendencies. But one in 20 people falls into a category the author refers to as extreme narcissism, in which these self-absorbed characteristics result in destructive behavior that harms not only the individual but everyone around them, including friends, family, and coworkers. With more than 30 years of experience studying personality disorders and treating extreme narcissists, Dr. Joseph Burgo has developed a useful guidebook to help you identify, understand, and manage narcissistic personalities. Relying on detailed profiles, vignettes from the author’s practice, and celebrity biographies, The Narcissist You Know offers easy-to-understand tools and solutions you can use to defuse hostile situations and survive assaults on your self-esteem should you ever find yourself in an extreme narcissist’s orbit. Don’t let narcissism destroy your relationships. Get the tools you need to understand, work with, and live with the narcissist you know.
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 7 hours and 55 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: Brilliance AudioAudible.com Release Date: September 22, 2015Language: EnglishID: B014LPK7HU Best Sellers Rank: #73 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Personality Disorders #249 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Social Psychology & Interactions #342 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Personality
With only 1% of the US population actually meeting the DSM diagnostic criteria for the Narcissistic Personality Disorder, practicing psychotherapist psychoanalyst Dr. Joseph Burgo examines the psychological traits that pertain to 5% of the population: "the extreme narcissist" in his highly informative comprehensive "The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me Age".

Narcissism is a popular catch-all term, over used at times for those difficult people- hard to understand and get along with. Dr. Burgo explains the distinctive personality traits in each chapter, using celebrities as examples: from the fragile easily wounded, the winner-loser mentality and the bully, the seductive narcissist, the grandiose, the know-it-all, the self righteous, the addicted narcissist. Readers will be able to identify people they know, and that surprisingly, these are learned behaviors often from parent to child.

Narcissism is always a result from deep hurt and pain, and as long as we judge their offensive behaviors and actions, we aren’t any better. Dale Carnegie observed that most people will get defensive when criticized even if it well deserved and accurate. To "roll over" to protect from an attack requires a strong sense of character and belief in self-worth without a need for validation. Dr. Burgo offers expert advise in dealing with the self-importance and sense of entitlement, controlling, blaming others, lack of empathy, remorse, and no regard for the feelings/rights of others. It is wise to note that an extreme narcissist can easily be offended by another person’s existence. In the work place, however, it may be necessary to find another job.

The Narcissist You Know Defending Yourself Against The Narcissist You Know Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists In An All About Me Age Book Burgo Joseph Simon and SchusterIn the tradition of The The Narcissist You Know Defending Yourself Against In the tradition of The Sociopath Next Door clinical psychologist Joseph Burgo s The Narcissist You Know is a guide to help you identify disarm and coexist The Narcissist You Know Defending Yourself Against Download The Narcissist You Know Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All About Me Age audiobook by Joseph Burgo instantly to your mobile phone

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The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave Audible – Unabridged

The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Willie Lynch ID: B00H7W6BGG

The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave is a study of slave making. It describes the rationale and the results of Anglo Saxon’s ideas and methods of insuring the master/slave relationship. The infamous Willie Lynch letter gives both African and Caucasian students and teachers some insight, concerning the brutal and inhumane psychology behind the African slave trade. The materialistic viewpoint of Southern plantation owners that slavery was a business and the victims of chattel slavery were merely pawns in an economic game of debauchery, crossbreeding, interracial rape and mental conditioning of a negroid race, they considered subhuman. Equally important is the international nature of the European economic, political and cultural climate that influenced the slave trade. Within the time scale of African History, it was a relatively short period, a mere one and a half centuries from the most intensive phase of the Atlantic slave trade to the advent of European administration and dominance. Long before that the Slave Coast had been chartered by the Portuguese and the people off the area west of Benin, between the Volta River and Lagos, European traders traced a cultural history which linked them with the earliest Yoruba settlements to the north and eastern borders of Africa.
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 23 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: BN PublishingAudible.com Release Date: December 10, 2013Language: EnglishID: B00H7W6BGG Best Sellers Rank: #16 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > African #79 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Literary Criticism
My friends, I am a teacher of African American history and I have news for you. This "book" is a work of fiction.

This "Willie Lynch" biz actually began as a chain letter in 1993, which Min. Louis Farrakhan read at the Million Man March.

The follwing are quotes from Prof. Manu Ampim of Merrit College (home of the Black Panther movement) in Oakland, Callifornia to head off the often quoted response "So what if it isn’t real, the essence of it is true"-

"Some people argue that it doesn’t matter if the speech is fact or fiction, because white people did use tactics to divide us. Of course tactics were used but what advocates of this argument don’t understand is that African people will not solve our problems and address the real issues confronting us by adopting half-baked urban myths. If there are people who know that the Lynch speech is fictional, yet continue to promote it in order to "wake us up," then we should be very suspicious of these people, who lack integrity and will openly violate trust and willingly lie to our community."

"Even if the Willie Lynch mythology were true, the speech is focused on what white slaveholders were doing, and there is no plan, program, or any agenda items for Black people to implement. It is ludicrous to give god-like powers to one white man who allegedly gave a single speech almost 300 years ago, and claim that this is the main reason why Black people have problems among ourselves today! Unfortunately, too often Black people would rather believe a simple and convenient myth, rather than spend the time studying and understanding a situation. Too many of our people want a one-page, simplified Ripley’s Believe It or Not explanation of "what happened.
Being a book that delves much from the Willie Lynch letter, not much value can be gained from it seeing how the letter itself is a fake. While it may seem to many folks who knows of it being fake & reading this as a "water is wet" breakdown, also note that there’s still a large number of folks who (a) just now discovered that this is a fake and thus (b) may not discover the truth right away since the search results for Google still points to many references of this being "real".

Being a letter from "1712" nothing about the writing style suggests that in the least, read a couple letters/books of stuff written back then and then read this again. Especially evident by the fact it uses words/references/phrases not in existence until decades or centuries later (e.g. foolproof & refueling are 20th century, reference to "Black" people which is a word that came circa 1960s – not in 1700s when colored or negro was the word of choice to describe our ancestors, etc.). And the only Willie Lynch who had any impact on slavery would not have been speaking favorably for a monarch such as King James (who was long dead by 1712, Queen Anne was the ruler by that time – not a fact a person using 20th century grammar would bother with but I digress) for the real Willie Lynch born in the 1740s (30 years after 1712)

And for those making the argument that there’s some truth to this letter so "there’s still some value to it", the same can be said for Abraham Lincoln The Vampire Slayer being an actual historical account since… well… Abe really existed in this place we call America.

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Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 230 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques Kindle Edition PDF

Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 230 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques Kindle Edition
Author: Visit ‘s Darren Levine Page ID: B003ODHOMM

Done.
File Size: 88604 KBPrint Length: 288 pagesPublisher: Ulysses Press (April 1, 2009)Publication Date: April 1, 2009 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: EnglishID: B003ODHOMMText-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #29,637 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Martial Arts #24 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Individual Sports #25 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Martial Arts
This was the first ‘complete’ publication of the US Krav Maga branch* (see below for debate on the US vs International) and for the most part the first publication that deals with unarmed techniques.

Pros
For those of you currently studying from versions 1 -3 (as I am testing into 3), you’ll find this a helpful study guide. The accompanying photos are large and offer decent detail with a general step by step description of techniques that grow more advanced as you move throughout the book. I would advise it as an excellent supplement (not a replacement) to anyones training – in fact, I’d consider it a foundation for future books of Krav Maga both to inspire from, and learn from their mistakes.

Side Note: You may find discrepancies from the books techniques compared to your school techniques: this is a product of an expansive, living, modern Martial Art. Talk with your instructors, as I did, to find out if these are watered down or improved variations. I’m listing this here, since I consider it neither a pro nor a con.

Cons
The photos would have been better in color; I know, I know, they most likely kept it black and white to lower the cost for their demographic, I am an Art Director after all, but it cheapens the quality of the finished book. I would have easily paid double for the same high resolution photos they have in color; it would have added a unique dimension to the book that lacks in many Martial Arts publications.

You may also find that the quality of writing is fairly watered down (or as I’ve heard some joke, Americanized) compared to the international publications.
Darren Levine’s Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 230 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques is the official guidebook of Krav Maga Worldwide(TM), the leading Krav Maga association in the United States. As a 6th degree black belt and chief US instructor of Krav Maga Worldwide and a deputy district attorney with extensive experience training law enforcement professionals, Mr. Levine is extremely well qualified to write a book on Krav Maga.

Krav Maga, which means "contact combat" in Hebrew, is the hand-to-hand combat fighting system of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Krav Maga incorporates techniques and methods from various martial arts and other fighting systems, it is not a martial art because it isn’t an art or a sport, but a pragmatic easy-to-learn system for dealing with violent confrontations based on natural, instinctive movements. Unlike most martial arts, Krav Maga does not have elaborate forms or "katas" or fancy moves.The system is defined few simple pragmatic principles, which are the foundations on which the techniques taught in this book are built.

Among these principles are:

>Techniques should include moves based on natural instincts.
>They must address the immediate threat, without trading one danger for another.
>Wherever possible, defend and counterattack simultaneously
>One technique should work in a variety of situations
>Techniques s/b accessible to the average person, not just athletes.
>Techniques must work from a position of disadvantage.
>Training should include realistic scenarios and incorporate stress experienced in real attacks.

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The Lost – November 10, 2015

The Lost (Witch & Wizard) Paperback – November 10, 2015
Author: Visit ‘s James Patterson Page ID: 0316207748

About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson’s books have sold more than 300 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Age Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upSeries: Witch & Wizard (Book 5)Paperback: 384 pagesPublisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 10, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0316207748ISBN-13: 978-0316207744 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #67,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #93 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Family > Siblings #380 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Dystopian #548 in Books > Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Siblings

Ok… great book. Absolutely loved it and this time I didn’t see ‘you now who’ coming back. 😏 it has a solid ending, but I wish there could be more books because it has an awesome story line!!! It has a very touching ending and I couldn’t help feeling heartbroken at the end but I enjoyed all the twists to the story and the new mysteries. Through the whole book I sat on the edge of my seat and was itching with curiosity. I promise, you will not regret reading this book…and I’m a scary witch who keeps her promises!🔥

The Lost (Witch & Wizard) by authors James Patterson and Emily Raymond, narrated by Spencer Locke and John Glouchevitch is the fifth and final book in the series. Like most readers I am sad to come to the end of Whit and Wisty’s story. Throughout this series Whit and Wisty Allgood have battled and overcome the evil called The One Who Is The One as well as several other evil characters. In The Lost a crime wave hits the city. The Family is an evil group stealing and killing, then using magic to get away. The citizens turn on anyone possessing magic including the siblings. Whit makes a life changing decision that he later regrets. Wisty is disappointed and shocked by his decision and she continues to be our Wisty always acting without considering the consequences.

James Patterson does it again! He offers readers a superb plot with great writing. Although this series was written for middle school and young adults Patterson does not scrimp on the quality of his writing. There are twists and turns that are sure to hold the interest of most readers. The characters in this book are a lot of fun. Some of the characters from past books also have a role in this book. The Lost is a combination thriller, action/adventure, fantasy, and sci fi all rolled into one. I recommend reading this series in order. I hope Mr. Patterson changes his mind and continues this series.

I loved this book and even though it sounds like the last in the series, I can only hope that the author will get the impetus and support to write something more in the future with this series. The characters are a lot of fun in this one still. I never would have guessed this book’s ending quite the way it was. It isn’t the kind of series that made you think something like, "Oh yeah, that is going to…..and it has to be….." The last speech in the book was a little bit cheesy and too cliché and simplistic to me, but I can live with it. I won’t bore you with a plot summary as I know other reviewers are fond of doing that. If you liked the previous books in the series, I say you should give this last one a shot, for completeness if nothing else, but there is enough there for entertainment alone. Have at it because I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Lost Witch and Wizard Series 5 by James Patterson The Lost Witch and Wizard Series 5 9 99 The Lost Pub Date 11 10 2015 Publisher Little The first book in this series Witch amp Wizard Amazon com Wizards Teen Young Adult Books The Lost Witch Wizard Nov 10 2015 This item will be released on November 10 2015 4 7 out of 5 stars 98 Witch Wizard Jul 30 The Lost Witch and Wizard Series 5 by James Patterson Now in paperback the fifth and final The Lost Witch and Wizard Series 5 This item will be available on November 10 2015 Add to Wishlist Editions of The Lost by James Patterson Goodreads Editions for The Lost 0099567741 Hardcover published in 2014 0316207705 Hardcover published in 2014 Kindle Edition published in 2014

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Mind Gym PDF Free Download

Mind Gym : An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence Paperback – June 24, 2002
Author: Visit ‘s Gary Mack Page ID: 0071395970

Review

“Mind Gym hits a home run. If you want to build mental muscle for the major leagues, read this book.” — Ken Griffey, Jr., Major League MVP

“A great read that helps you understand the importance that your mind plays in reaching the top.” — Michele Timms, WNBA All-Star and Olympic silver-medal winner –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Golfing great Bobby Jones said, “Competition is won or lost on the six-inch playing field between the ears.” How do the best athletes gain an advantage on that playing field? In Mind Gym, noted sports psychology consultant Gary Mack teaches athletes the lessons he’s learned about how the mind influences athletic performance as much as physical skill does, if not more so.

Through forty accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes–many of whom he has worked with–Mack shares the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental “muscle.”

Achieving this inner excellence requires time and effort. The more you work on the inside, the more it shows on the outside. These engaging stories–covering such themes as overcoming adversity, staying motivated, and following one’s dreams–will enable you to perform at your best by choice rather than chance.

Mind Gym will give anyone who spires to be a better athlete the “head edge” over the competition.

–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Paperback: 240 pagesPublisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 1 edition (June 24, 2002)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0071395970ISBN-13: 978-0071395977 Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #2,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #7 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Weight Training #71 in Books > Sports & Outdoors

If you are expecting substantive theoretical sports psychological insights from this book, you will be thoroughly disappointed. While the anecdotes presented by the author are amusing, they provide little to no substance. Often, they are redundant to the point where it seems the author is beating the stain where the dead horse used to be. Each chapter ends with a short 1-sentence summary. In my opinion, the book could easily be condensed to only the chapter headings and the 1-sentence summaries, although it would be much less entertaining that way. The 1-liners do contain good information, but, unfortunately, much of it is what I would consider common sense.

Unless you can relate to baseball and other American sports, don’t bother picking up this book. Most of the anecdotes are from the world of baseball.

That said, the book is a very easy read. I do not question the author’s abilities as a sports psychologist. But I had expected a book with much more substance.

This a well written, concise look into a gammut of psychological skills related to sport performance. It is also a series of short stories from the author’s career as a professional sport psychologist. It is an easy read and well done. What it is NOT is an introduction to sport psychology or a book that can help someone learn sport psychology unless they are already familiar with the topic. Good book, I liked it very much; but not a book from which one can learn sport psychology. It is a collection of stories and within each story there is a skill to be learned.

I found this book because it came up in a search for triathlon books, but I think it was mis-categorized. If you’re into sports like baseball, football and golf, this would be an enjoyable read. Seems like 99% of his examples are in these three more traditional sports. But there are a number of issues that come up for endurance athletes (triathlon, marathon, long-course cycling) that aren’t even touched on in this book.
I think the author could do a second version that touches on how to continue pushing through the pain when you’re 10 hours into a 15 hour effort to complete an Ironman and your head wants to quit. He touches on this in a chapter on determination, but it’s one thing to sit on the sidelines and tell someone "don’t quit!"; it’s another thing to figure out how to manage what’s behind your ears and he doesn’t do a good job of addressing that. Or how to psychologically deal with a mass swim start. Or the psychological issues of training for 6 to 9 months for a single event.
I read this entire book and felt like only about 1/4th could apply… maybe more if I was forced to make the connections myself, but that’s not really what I was looking for. Not saying it’s a bad book, but if you’re looking at this for endurance sports you might pass.

Mind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner Excellence Praise for Mind Gym Believing in yourself is paramount to success for any athlete Gary s lessons and David s writing provide examples of the importance of the Mind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner Excellence Mind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner Excellence and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle Learn moreMind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner Excellence by Start by marking Mind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner Excellence Published June 24th 2002 Mind Gym An Athlete s Guide to Inner

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Becoming the Iceman – November 22, 2011 PDF

Becoming the Iceman Paperback – November 22, 2011
Author: Wim Hof ID: 1937600467

Paperback: 326 pagesPublisher: Mill City Press, Inc. (November 22, 2011)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1937600467ISBN-13: 978-1937600464 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #3,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #134 in Books > Self-Help > Motivational #165 in Books > Self-Help > Personal Transformation #831 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

Wim is a very interesting man, no doubt about it. But this book is irritating on so many levels. I am not interested in Justin’s story. The pioneer here is Wim, not Justin and his ego and lack of self awareness. Every chapter about Justin is pretty annoying. I skipped those chapters.

This book could have been a lot better had it not been co-written by someone who isn’t on the same page as Wim physically, psychologically, or otherwise.

This story should have been 100% about Wim, but we have to read about some kid with a narrow scope of life experience and a rigid belief system that alienates the reader.

I have been following Wim Hof since he first appeared on the Discovery Channel. It was a television special displaying his ability to withstand ice cold temperatures. His ability immediately provoked my curiosity. The book "Becoming the Iceman" is not only incredibly inspiring but reiterates that anyone can gain the knowledge and skills Wim has obtained. You will understand and learn through Wim and Justin’s experiences laid out in each chapter. The final method is explained in detail at the end. I believe the stories and information will change our lives and health for the better. I highly recommend this book even if you are skeptical regarding human potential. At the very least it will open your mind to a new and different perspective.

Ever since moved up north I never wanted to go outside I hated winter, but with this book I started to appreciate it as an amazing force. both Wim and Justin’s story’s help you to understand just how much fun you can really have in winter. The training exercise are great too. My favorite is the breathing exercise. If you really want to enjoy winter I HIGHLY snuggest you read this book 5 stars!

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The Grace of Kings

The Grace of Kings: The Dandelion Dynasty Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Ken Liu ID: B00V3S0490

Two men rebel together against tyranny – and then become rivals – in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they both find themselves the leaders of separate factions – two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice. Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 21 hours and 37 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: Simon & Schuster AudioAudible.com Release Date: April 7, 2015Whispersync for Voice: ReadyLanguage: EnglishID: B00V3S0490 Best Sellers Rank: #382 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fantasy > Epic #498 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Action & Adventure #618 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Fantasy
When I heard Ken Liu talk about this book, I was enraptured. He discussed the Chinese epics he grew up with, and how they are thematically different than Western epics. He talked about how he was determined to set this story in a world that was not fantasy-china, or fantasy-europe, but rather something else all together. And he laughed at himself for writing bits about tax-collection. The tax-collection was interesting! The evolution of leadership was interesting! The development of characters was interesting! Even the tragic conclusion was deftly handled. I was a little skeptical it would be possible to move easily from tight little short stories to the dozens of people and plots you need to move a story this size, but Liu handles it gracefully, and without his prose ever getting flabby. Keep your editor, Ken! Don’t turn into Weber.

As much as the structure is grounded in a literary tradition different than mine, I brought a lot of my own culture and bias to it. In the prophetic woman embroidering, I saw the Greek Fates. In the growth of strength into monstrous flaws, I saw the outline of Greek tragedy. In the super-heroic character, I read Achilles, and in his wily, silver-tongued trickster companion, I read Odysseus, who even had a wife in waiting. None of that affected how the story played out, except that I appreciated the twists that did not go the way I expected.

The world-building is spectacular. I chortled out loud more than once. Battlekites! Smokebending! Campfire food that is not stew! Philosophy, art, dance, war machines, and trickery. So. Much. Trickery. Trust no one. Especially don’t trust beggars, old ladies, or crows. Anyone who might be a god in disguise. You should also be a little skeptical about your future self, your right-hand person, and your lovers.
I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, but maybe the moniker Fantasy Grouch is a slight exaggeration. I’ll admit that a large portion of my novel-reading diet consists of science fiction but I do occasionally snack on a fantasy novel now and then. Bottom line – I cannot speak with any authority on the merits of The Grace of Kings in comparison to other works of the genre. I am certain there will be plenty of other reviews that will cover this ground.

What business does the Fantasy Grouch have reviewing a Han Dynasty inspired fantasy? Ken Liu, ladies and gentleman. Ken Liu. Ever since reading “The Paper Menagerie”, in a 2011 issue of the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, I have watched for his byline and have read everything I could get my hands on. Even when the news came that Mr. Liu’s first novel was going to be an epic fantasy, I was undeterred by this revelation and pre-ordered it on immediately.

I know very little of the Han Dynasty, other than it had it’s fair share of violence, like every other period of human history, it seems. So don’t be surprised with all the battles, court intrigues, failed alliances and betrayed friendships. But it’s not all blood and guts, not by a long shot, even though much of the book is about that inevitable disagreement and clash of ideas that so often requires violence as a means to resolution. The descriptions of the geography and fauna of the islands of Dara are pleasant diversions. Indeed, I found myself occasionally wishing that there was a travel package available. Another aspect of the book I found interesting were the intricate rules governing relations with family and friends, even down to the proper sitting position in a given social interaction.
Drawing upon ancient Han Chinese mythology, with echoes of Japanese, Islamic Arab, and Polynesian mythology thrown in too, Ken Liu breathes fresh air into the genre of epic fantasy in his debut novel “The Grace Of Kings: Book One of the Dandelion Dynasty”. It is fresh air because it displays much of the same gritty realism found in such notable fantasy works as Robert Jackson Bennett’s “City of Stairs” and Lev Grossman’s “The Magicians” novels. Conjuring a fantastical world that seems far more realistic and natural than, for example, Benjamin Percy’s “The Dead Lands”, simply because Liu’s exquisite, quite poetic, prose, describes in realistic detail, the islands of Dara – both its wilderness and urban landscapes – that echo the early 22nd Century Bangkok depicted in Paolo Bacigalupi’s “The Windup Girl” or the near future rural United States in William Gibson’s “The Peripheral”. In plain English, the islands – including their fauna and flora as well as their human inhabitants – are rendered realistically to a far greater degree than what I have read from virtually all of the recently published near future works of dystopian speculative fiction, and for this reason alone, anyone thinking of writing speculative fiction in the future will have to pay close attention to what Liu has done here – and most likely will continue doing – in his “Dandelion Dynasty” saga. Much of Liu’s language in this novel is evocative of the exquisite, almost lyrical, prose found in Bacigalupi’s award-winning debut novel, without being derivative at all, creating for his readers, characters, setting and plot worthy of those in the “Arabian Nights” tales or in such memorable works of early Chinese fiction as the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”.
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