Reviews

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005f0dyxtip.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ruth Sims</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ruth Sims"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Reviews</B>   |   <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters from Readers"><U>Letters from Readers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Excerpt: Chapter One"><U>Excerpt: Chapter One</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="06d8acd0.jpg" border=0 width="138" height="205" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Cover art "Phoenix" was created and is copyrighted  2001 by C.D. Steele. It may not be copied, downloaded or transmitted apart from  the book, without permission from the artist.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Cover design by</B></div> <div> <B> Dale Walkey</B></div> <div> <B>(c)2002</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Reviews</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="626" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#008080 HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="622"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="622" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 1098 WIDTH="622"><bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"It is rare for a reviewer to give a ten out of ten rating for a book or film, but in this case, an A rating is more than justified." - Alastair Rosie </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Phoenix by Ruth Sims</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>          The Phoenix</B></I> by Ruth Sims is without a doubt a truly remarkable book in the best tradition of Oscar Wilde (who also makes a cameo appearance in the book). Set in the 1880s and spanning a time of over twenty years, it is essentially a love story that has all the elements of high drama, passion, betrayal and an underlying tenderness that transcends the boundaries between hetero and homosexuality. That being said, it is not a book that will appeal only to homosexuals and it would be a shame if it were condemned to the current stock of rubbish littering the gay and lesbian sites. <I><B>The Phoenix</B></I> is literature, not an apologetic mouthpiece for gay rights.</div> <bR> <div>            The story centers around Kit St Denys, aka known as Jack Rourke, the twin son of a violent alcoholic father and a browbeaten mother. When Jack's brother, Steven is brutally beaten to death by his father, after his mother leaves in terror; Jack commits an act that will forever condemn him to a life of fear. Taken in by a sympathetic theater worker, Lizbet, who passes him on to her rich cousin, St Denys, Jack's life is forever transformed. He becomes an actor and as the story transpires, prefers the company of men. At the same time, we are also introduced to Nicholas Stuart, son of a Puritan father and struggling with his own homosexuality. The world at this time of course, sent homosexuals to prison. What unfolds is a well-researched historical romance that spans two continents and gives us a fascinating insight into the machinations of theatrical society that gave birth to the likes of Wilde, Shaw and Ibsen. Both protagonists are haunted by their respective pasts and the relationship takes the form of obsession that drags out to the last breathtaking moment.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>          The Phoenix</B></I> is astonishingly well written, accurately researched and a real pleasure to read. Far too many authors seem reluctant to stretch the narrative out to its fullest, believing that less is best. Sims however has had the courage to fully develop the characters and as a consequence has contributed a fine piece of literature. The homosexual love scenes are not overly graphic either; I have read ten-cent bodice rippers that leave nothing to the imagination and even less food for thought. Neither as I have already mentioned, does it take either a negative or a positive view of homosexuality, which is a great relief to this heterosexual reviewer. I get tired of the vitriolic rhetoric from both sides of the fence; Sims, thankfully, doesn't venture down this path.</div> <bR> <div>           I would recommend <I><B>The Phoenix</B></I> to you, both as a retelling of a period in history when the world stood between two centuries and as a sensitive love story. Romance novelists of both persuasions would do well to study this book and learn from it. After all, we don't need every detail graphically laid out for us; we do have an imagination and that is the fuel that drives authors such as Sims.</div> <div> <I>          </I></div> <div> <I>          It is rare for a reviewer to give a ten out of ten rating for a book or film, but in this case, an A rating is more than justified.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Review by Alastair Rosie</B></div> <div> <B>Frelance Writer and Editor</B></div> <div> <B> October 8, 2001</B></div> <div> <B>for eBooks 'N Bytes Publishing</B></div> <div> <B>http://www.ebooksnbytes.com</B></div> <div> <B>http://www.ebook-reviews.net/glb.shtml</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="622"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="622" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><IMG SRC="04d952b0.gif" border=0 width="149" height="43" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>  </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Arial" > The story holds the reader in its grasp from first page to last. Its characters are vivid; they bring to mind people we have known and people we care about. Though Nick Stuart and Kit St. Denys live in the late 1800's, their hopes and aspirations are not very different from our own. And one feels equal sympathy for Nick, hounded by religious guilt for being what he is; Kit, bedeviled by unbearable childhood terrors; and Bronwyn who is caught up in a bewildering struggle. The theatrical history is fascinating as well. The conclusion is believable and bittersweet.</FONT></div> <div>    I predict The Phoenix will be only the first of Ruth Sims's novels to achieve success.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>L. Lane</B></div> <div> <B>Reviewer, Brother-to-Brother Book Club</B></div> <div> <B>Springfield, IL</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>