I Wasn't Empressed

Advantages: Distinctive characters
Disadvantages: Over long and got a little repetitive

...Karen Miller took the fantasy world by storm with her debut "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker" duology, with both "The Innocent Mage" and "The Awakened Mage" selling well and getting good reviews in many places, including The Bookbag. Whilst I missed those, I'd heard enough good things about her work to be excited about "Empress", the first in a planned trilogy of "Godspeaker" novels. In a part of Mijak known only as "The Savage North", a young girl is resigned to a life of beatings, hunger and being unloved and unwanted, largely for having been born female. She is saved from this life by the arrival of two traders, Abajai and Yagji who take her back to their home city of Et-Raklion. Hekat, as she has named herself, thinks she is there as their favourite, but is upset to discover they have bought her as a slave. Not seeing this as...

Soho_Black 27.09.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Empress - Karen Miller

The Empress Impresses

Advantages: A beautiful story, beautifully written
Disadvantages: Detailed. Unusual names and words sometimes hamper.

...Paperback purchased from Waterstones for £7.99 I LOVED this book. Based on the true story of Tz'u-hsi, (the eponymous Orchid) the last Empress Dowager of China, Anchee Min brings to life the beauty and opulence of the famous, walled Forbidden City with the city of Peking. Orchid (who takes the name of Lady Yehonara on marriage) is the fourth of seven wives, and with 3000 concubines also vying for the attention of the Emperor, she soon realises that intrigue, treachery and manipulation will be part of her life until she dies. The Forbidden City has strict rules of etiquette and harsh punishments - often death - for overstepping the mark. "One wrong move and your head could be chopped". (p21) One unfortunate soul is dismembered and kept in a jar. However, the rewards are high and competition is tough, not only to produce a male...

astrababe 16.02.2006 (21.02.2006) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Empress Orchid - Anchee Min

The Strand Palace Hotel

Advantages: Central location, clean
Disadvantages: Food, rooms

...We stayed at this hotel in London a little over a month ago now for two nights, we chose this hotel mainly because of the central location and because it was only a ten minuite walk from the show we had booked to go too. Check in was very quick - About ten minuites and the staff at the reception seemed very friendly. My first thoughts on the hotel was that it looked really clean and that it was nicely decorated and it looked modern. I was a little dissapointed with our room as it was very small and basic, our room had a double bed, tea and coffee making facilities, a tv with satellite and a small, basic en suite bathroom with a shower. The views from our room very very poor - A block of offices which made our room dark as they were so close. The hotel has two bars and two resturaunts, the bars were again nicely decorated...

kate44 03.05.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of The Strand Palace Hotel, London

Hotel International

Advantages: Location, breakfasts
Disadvantages: Poor rooms

...I recently went on a cultural girlie trip with a friend to Paris. I was left to do all the booking. I was looking for a reasonable hotel, near a metro stop, which included breakfast. I came across the Hotel International on various travel sites and it seemed fairly highly rated so I booked us in for three nights. LOCATION: The hotel is located 6 Rue Auguste Barbier in the 11th Arrondissement. The nearest Metro stop is Garcourt which was a two minute walk away and it was a five minute walk to Republique which gives good links to other lines. It's not really central enough to avoid the Metro and walk to the attractions but it was located so close to a stop that it seemed ideal. PRICE: Prices vary depending on size of room and season. There are singles, doubles and triples available. We paid Euro254 for the whole time...

tartlette83 17.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Hotel International, Paris

Need Bodyguards to enter Empress

Advantages: Different Makes of Cars in 1 garage, and stay dry while looking!
Disadvantages: The Vultures

...I have been to empress a couple of times, obviously there was a large enough gap between the first and second visit that I had forgotten just how awful it is to go there. First of all you get acosted by the security guard who wants to know why you are there, and you have to wait for the barrier to be lifted, why???????? Is he really wondering why all these people keep going through? surely someone ought to tell him what they sell.... My Husband and I happily strolled into the building thinking that we'd have a nice leisurely wander around the site to try to come to some agreement of what car we should buy. (him Type R or BMW, me Scooby!) But no, no sooner had my little toe got over the front door we were met by a man in a suit asking us why we were there, hmm, another member of staff obviously kept in the dark. once we...

gingernutter 09.09.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Carcraft at Empress

Empress Tzu Tzi, a fresh and fair look

Advantages: A refreshing look at Empress Tzu Tzi. You are not going to put down this book!
Disadvantages: The writing is so compelling and real, it is possible to confuse fiction and history.

...For more than a hundred years, the last Empress of China, Empress Tzu Tzi had been synonymous with a cruelty, and credited with bringing the empire to its collapse. Almost all things bad are credited to her. AnChee Min, had created an interesting "fictional biography". She showed a sensitive understanding and interpretation of the events around the empress, and how it shaped her outlook. Instead of a face of a cunning but ignorant woman who happened to be powerful because of her ability in bed, the book gives a real life to her. Her she is depicted as an intelligent, filial woman who was determined to stay afloat. There was even an element of innocence in her quest for love. The stories in the palaces are always full of twists and turns. Many a best selling books are based on love triangles. This is a book that is based...

graceC 15.04.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Empress Orchid - Anchee Min

sachas hotel

Advantages: good price,great location
Disadvantages: no window

...****Sachas hotel- Manchester**** I booked this hotel last minute as i had a job interview in Manchester and needed somewhere quite cheap ,that was also near the centre. **Location/Getting there** This hotel is located in Tibb street which is a 2 minute walk from Piccadily Gardens or 10 minutes away from Chorlton street bus station.The Train station is a little bit further away say maybe a twenty minute walk but i don't think that this is that bad .You can also get a tram from Piccadily gardens and this goes to quite a few places.You could also get a taxi to the hotel but i am not sure what parking is like if you were to take your own car. **Reception/staff** Since i had never been to Manchester before i phoned and asked the staff for directions -they were very nice and helped me out.When i got there i think i got the same...

katie22008m 04.09.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Britannia Sachas Hotel, Manchester

Fantastic Hotel

Advantages: Fantastic Food
Disadvantages: Lifts are quite small

...When we decided to make a return trip to Benalmedina we opted to go to the four star Hotel Las Arenas as it was recommended by friends. It is slightly further out just opposite the Castle Bill Bill and when you cross the road it?s a flat walk all the way to the marina which is away from the large hills on which many of the other hotels are located. Reception On arrival check in was swift and at this time we opted to pay for a safety deposit box we were then handed the safe key and card key to room 524 and pointed in the direction of the lifts. On looking round reception it was laid out with tables and chairs and also had a grand piano, a small bar ,toilets and computers with internet access. There is a large board telling you about entertainment available during the day and at night. The whole area was laid out for wheelchair access...

elspeth334 15.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Las Arenas Hotel, Benalmadena

hotel olsanka

Advantages: Cheap and cheerful
Disadvantages: Not so easy to access the town centre of prague.

...hotel olsanka prague Having been to prague recently and having stayed at this particular accomodation a few years ago, I was keen to give this place one final chance as I had had a really rubbish stay at this place. Similarly to my previous stay, I had notice that the Hotel seems to be advertised much cheaper on accomodation websites compared to near enough all other places to stay in prague. getting to the accomodation The details of getting to prague town centre are covered in my previous prague accomodation review, and whilst this accomodation is not as easy to get to location wise, a tram journey needed to get the accomodation from one of the central location's of prague town centre. booking process I booked this accomodation using a third party reservation booking website and paid around seventy euros...

costas1234 02.12.2008 (31.05.2009) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Hotel Olsanka, Prague

The Perfect Boutique Hotel

Advantages: Fabulous decor; impeccable customer service;
Disadvantages: I had to leave!

...Last week my boyfriend turned 26 and I wanted to surprise him and take him away somewhere swanky for a short break. We both work very hard and long hours so I was after somewhere where we could relax and switch off from everything for a couple of days and just feel a bit pampered. After lots of research, Dublin seemed like the ideal place and after checking out some reviews on tripadvisor, The Dylan hotel looked like the perfect choice, being rated the 2nd best hotel in the city. The Dylan is a 5 star boutique hotel based slightly outside of Dublin's main centre in a 19th-century townhouse that used to house the nurses of the nearby hospital. It's located on the South side of town by the canal in a quiet side street in a residential part of town, so you're unlikely to be bothered by any noise, but is a quick and very straightforward...

bubblegum_princess 26.01.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Dylan Hotel, Dublin