| 1. Tea with the Black Dragon | 
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By: R. A. MacAvoy
Publisher: e-reads.com
February 01, 2001
1983's urban fantasy TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON is the only book I've read by R.A. (for Roberta Ann) MacAvoy, so I really have no frame of reference with which to compare her other stuff. But if her other stuff is as engaging as this one, then she's a heck of a writer. I definitely plan on getting hold of this book's 1986 sequel Twisting the Rope.
TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON is a low key... more
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| 2. The Belly of the Wolf (Lens of the World, Book 3) |
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By: R. A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Avon Books (Mm)
1995-02
I've been a fan of MacAvoy's since reading Tea With the Black Dragon in highschool 20 years ago. I fell in love with the Damiano trilogy shortly thereafter and have read it many times since. I even managed to get my then-future husband, a very reluctant reader, to read all three. I've just finished re-reading the Lens of the Word trilogy which I had actually checked out of the library for my daughter... more
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| 3. Twisting the Rope | 
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By: R.A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Bantam Books Ltd
October 16, 1987
After reading "Tea With the Black Dragon", I was looking forward to more adventures with Oolong and Martha. The story "Twisting the Rope" was a pretty good sequel, but all the errors made it an extremely disconcerting read. It was as if this were just a first draft which had not been sent to the editors for proofreading yet. There were misplaced punctuation marks, spelling errors along with words... more
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| 4. Lens of the World | 
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By: R. A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Avon Books (Mm)
1991-05
I have enjoyed this genre for over 20 years and when I stumbled upon this little book on the rack of a dollar store I picked it up on a whim... it changed the game completely for me. The tale is all about the journey and not some standard cliche story arc. The writing is as good as you will ever find, the characters are mind-blowing, and the only downside is it will ruin your ability to suffer through... more
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| 5. King of the Dead |
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By: R.A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
February 13, 1992
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... more
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| 6. The Book of Kells |
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By: R.A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group
July 18, 1986
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... more
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| 7. Damiano |
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By: R. A. MacAvoy
Publisher: Bantam Books
1984-01
I thought this trilogy was pretty great when I was about 14, but I recently decided to read it again. It hasn't held up well.
While MacAvoy certainly did a serviceable job of researching the background to this tale, I wish I could go back in time and snatch this out of the hands of the 14-year-old me. Toss him some Lovecraft. Or Leiber. Or Doc Smith.
Sigh.
First... more
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| 8. Damiano's Lute |
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By: R.A. Macavoy
Publisher: Bantam
April 01, 1984
I didn't realize this book was the second in a series when I grabbed. Like most second books, most of the character development occurred in the first volume, so you don't become hugely attached to the characters.
The characters move about without any real sense of motivation. There is no driving force behind the first half of the book, so despite being well-written, it is a very slow... more
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| 9. THE THIRD EAGLE | 
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By: R.A. Macavoy
Publisher: Bantam Books
January 01, 1990
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... more
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| 10. Trio for Lute |
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By: R.A. Macavoy
Publisher: Spectra
June 01, 1988
This triology is one of the freshest, most human and evocative historical fantasies I've ever read. MacAvoy does such a great job giving the reader insight into the late medieval mind, and her characters are so dimensional. Even Satan, in his stale realm, is a most realized entity. What a great spiritual/historic/magical work!!!! Even though it's been a few years since I've re-read... more
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Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
