Dominoes, with books.

Here's a game I played with Justin Landon of Staffer's Book Reviews - the rules should be self-apparent:

(you will note it's the first non-trivial word that counts, not 'the' or 'a' etc)
(plurals and singular don't match but you can ignore apostrophes)
(single world titles match both ways)
(paper books only)
[contest has ENDED - though you can still have your efforts included]

And here's the longest chain I could make with books I own:

To reverse a title, turn the book upside down. So here we have: Lord:Lord/High:High/Deryni:Deryni/Rising:Rising

What's the longest chain you can make? Send me a photo & I'll put it here. The best one will win a FANTABULOUS prize!  Send me your entry at empire_of_thorns@yahoo.co.uk

7? From Anita

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / The Girl Who Played With Fire / Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / Prince of Thorns / King of Thorns / A Clash of Kings

'King' and 'Kings' don't match at the end, so it's a 6, but it still beats me!


8! From Vanessa.

Dreaming the Eagle / Eagle and the Raven / the Raven Queen / Queen of the Amazons / Last of the Amazons / the Last King / King of Thorns / Prince of Thorns

eagle:eagle/raven:raven/queen:queen/amazons:amazons/last:last/king:king/thorns:thorns

9! From Garrett.

The Spy Who Haunted Me / Dead to Me / Walking Dead / Dead Man Walking / Three Parts Dead / Three / Three Days to Dead / Dead Iron / Iron Kisses

10? From Malin

So this uses Swedish books (which is fine) and matches 'kung' to 'king' which I'll allow since they're the same word, but it also matches compound words 'onskasang' to 'sang' which is a step too far. So really it's a valiant 6 - which still beats me, but not Garrett.


11? From Harry

The Final Empire / Empire in Black and Gold / Storm of Swords / The Gathering Storm / A Gathering of Light / The Light of Burning Shadows / The Way of Shadows / The Way of Kings / The Last Argument of Kings / Last and First Men / The Sum of All Men

I've ruled against tablets but since we have a 12 and a 20 below the point is moot!

14? From Kent

Dark of deep below / dark prince / prince of thorns / king of thorns / dragon king / dragons of winter night / white night / white wolf / hunting wolf / the night is for hunting / night dragon / dragons of winter night / dead of night / deadhouse gates

Sadly 'dragon' and 'dragons' don't match, plus 'dragons of winter night' is used twice, and 'dead' and 'deadhouse' don't match... reducing a proud 14 to a gutsy 7.


12! From T.O. (A historian takes the lead!)

A non-fantasy selection! A taste of Scotland / A taste of Ireland / Great folk tales of old Ireland Great Commanders and their Battles / Great air Battles / Alfred the Great / Alfred warrior King / The Winter King    (Bernard Cornwell's legend of Arthur) / Winter King    (Thomas Penn's biography of Henry VII) / King of Thorns / Prince of Thorns / Edward Prince of Wales and Aquitaine: a Biography of the Black Prince

A new leader!


20! From Amanda (yay for physicists!)

Introduction to Electrodynamics / (An) Introduction to Quantum Physics / (An) Introduction to Thermal Physics / Introduction to Quantum Mechanics / Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics / Fundamentals of Physics / Physics For Scientists and Engineers/ with Modern Physics / (The) Physics of Stars / Astrophysics I Stars / Introduction to High Energy Astrophysics / (An) Introduction to Active Galactic Nuclei / Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Galactic Nuclei / (An) Introduction to Modern Astrophysics / Galaxies in the Universe An Introduction / Astronomy Volume II Stars & Galaxies / Astronomy / Laboratory Experiments for Astronomy / Laboratory Exercises in Astronomy / Astronomy A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe / Exploration of the Universe


24? Vivianne

*At the Mountains of Madness / The Mad Ship / Ship of Magic / Cold Magic / Cold Fire / Fire / A Fire in the North / Kings of the North / Way of Kings / The Way of Shadows / Shadows / *Shadow Souls  / *The Emperor's Soul / The Emperor's Knife / Knife of Dreams / Dust of Dreams / The Kingdoms of Dust / *Kingdom of Gods / *God's War  / Warbreaker / *Breaking Dawn / The Robots of Dawn / *I, Robot / **I Zandramas Spår

Some self-confessed rule bending here means that really it's a 10-chain.


27! Cherie

Crystal line / crystal singer / the wind singer / shadow of the wind / shadow's edge / fate's edge / fool's fate / fool moon / shadow moon / shadow dawn / dawn spell / spell bound / blood bound / blood lines / power lines / the white mists of power / white night / city of night / city of bones / dragon bones / dragon's fire / fire dragon / dragon prince / prince of thorns / king of thorns / the wolf king / night of the wolf [ breaks] summer knight / summer tree 


33? Michael

Prince of Thorns / King of Thorns / Magician King / Magician / Magician: Apprentice / Assassin's Apprentice / Assassin of Gor / Blood Brothers of Gor / Prince of the Blood / Prince of Chaos / Lord of Chaos / Lord of Castle Black / Black Sun Rising / The Rising / The Shadow Rising / Shadow of a Dark Queen / Queen of Blood / Reign of Blood / To Reign in Hell / When We Join Jesus in Hell / When True Night Falls / Darkness Falls / Lost in Darkness / Last Exit for the Lost / The last Dark / Dark of the Sun / Book of the New Sun / Book of the Short Sun / Midnight Sun / Towers of Midnight / The Two Towers / The Two Dead Girls / Bull Running for Girls

OK, I'm impressed! There's a quibble over Magician / Magician: Apprentice being the same book, but if they are then it's still a 32.

39! Doug

The Gathering Storm : Storm of Swords : Crown of Swords : Crown of Shadows : Lord of Snow and Shadows : The High Lord : High Deryni : Deryni Rising : Black Sun Rising : The Black Unicorn : The Last Unicorn : Last Call : First Rider's Call : The First Dragon : Dragon Prince:Prince of the Blood :The Blood King : King of Thorns : Prince of Thorns : Prince of Demons : Queen of Demons : Shadow of a Dark Queen : Shadow Moon : Fool Moon : Golden Fool : The Golden City : City of the Lost : Lost in a Good Book : The Book of Three : The Drawing of the Three : Drawing Out the Dragons : The Shadow Dragons : The Shadow Rising : The Dark is Rising : Dark River : River of Gods : American Gods : An American Tragedy


42? Tracy

Seeker / Angel seeker (reversed) / Night angel / White night (reverse) / White dragon / Dragon Prince / Prince of thorns / King of thorns (reversed) / King of Dreams / City of lost dreams (reversed) / City and the City / City at the end of time / Time of the dark / Dark man / Hollow man (reversed) / Hollow City / City in winter / Wolf of winter (reversed) / Wolf speaker / Speaker for the dead / The book of the dead (reversed) / Book of the Mad / Mad ship / Ship if magic / Magic in the blood / Blood of Dragons / City of dragons (reversed) / City of Sorcery / Queen of Sorcery (reversed) / Honor of the queen (reversed) / Witch queen (reversed) / Witch world / World without end / Magicians end (reversed) / (The Magicians by Grossman goes here, I haven't found where it's currently at yet.) / Magicians apprentice / Assassins apprentice (reversed) (Hobb) / Kronor the Assassins (reversed) / Kronor the betrayal / Betrayal in winter / Winter rose / Rose daughter / Daughter of the blood / Promise of Blood (reversed) (McClellan) (not shown cause I just thought of it:-)

Promise of Blood & The Magicians not counted in the 42.

...however Honor of the Queen appears to be matching both ways ... so it's 'only' 29.

Probably salvageable into something longer than 29 though.



52! Michael

With the last hours ticking away are we looking at our winner with this 2nd bite at the cherry by Michael? (photo sent in high res with titles readable)

(Strange) Strange Harvest (Harvest) / (Harvest) Dark Harvest (Dark) / (Dark) Dark Gods (Gods) / (Gods) Other Gods (Other) / (Other) The Other Side (Side) / (Side) The Darker Side (Darker) / (Darker) Darker Angels (Angels) / (Angels) The Ash Angels (Ash) / (Ash) The Sea of Flesh and Ash (Sea) / (Sea) Fire Sea (Fire) / (Fire) A Darkness Forged in Fire (Darkness) / (Darkness) Lost in Darkness (Lost) / (Lost) Last Exit for the Lost (Last) / (Last) The Last Dark (Dark) / (Dark) Dark of the Sun (Sun) / (Sun) The Book of the New Sun (Book) / (Book) The Book of Dreams (Dreams) / (Dreams) Dreams of Terror and Death (Death) / (Death) Swords Against Death (Swords) / (Swords) A Crown of Swords (Crown) / (Crown) Crown of Shadows (Shadows) / (Shadows) Knight of Shadows (Knight) / (Knight) The Knight (Knight) / (Knight) Summer Knight (Summer) / (Summer) A Shadow in Summer (Shadow) / (Shadow) Shadow of a Dark Queen (Queen) / (Queen) Queen of Blood (Blood) / (Blood) Reign of Blood (Reign) / (Reign) To Reign in Hell (Hell) / (Hell) When We Join Jesus in Hell (When) / (When) When True Night Falls (Falls) / (Falls) Black Mercy Falls (Black) / (Black) Lord of Castle Black (Lord) / (Lord) Lord of Chaos (Chaos) / (Chaos) Prince of Chaos (Prince) / (Prince) Prince of the Blood (Blood) / (Blood) Blood Brothers of Gor (Gor) / (Gor) Assassin of Gor (Assassin) / (Assassin) Assassin's Apprentice (Apprentice) / (Apprentice) Magician: Apprentice (Magician) / (Magician) Magician (Magician) / (Magician) Magician King (King) / (King) King of Thorns (Thorns) / (Thorns) Prince of Thorns (Prince) / (Prince) Rise of a Merchant Prince (Rise) / (Rise) I Will Rise (I) / (I) I Am America (And So Can You!) (You) / (You) Bleed For You (Bleed) / (Bleed) Bleed With Me (Me) / (Me) Fear Me (Fear) / (Fear) Fear Nothing (Nothing) / (Nothing) Nothing's Sacred (Sacred)

68! Doug

The Gathering Storm : Storm of Swords : Crown of Swords : Crown of Shadows : Lord of Snow and Shadows : The High Lord : High Deryni : Deryni Rising : Black Sun Rising : The Black Unicorn : The Last Unicorn : Last Call : First Rider's Call : The First Dragon : Dragon Prince : Prince of the Blood :The Blood King : King of Thorns : Prince of Thorns : Prince of Demons : Queen of Demons : Shadow of a Dark Queen : Shadow Moon : Fool Moon : Golden Fool : The Golden City : City of the Lost : Lost in a Good Book : The Book of Three : The Drawing of the Three : Drawing Out the Dragons : The Shadow Dragons : The Shadow Rising : The Dark is Rising : Dark River : River God : God's War : The Paradise War : Trouble in Paradise : Trouble On Cloud City : City of the Dead : King of the Dead : King's Dragon : Dragon Rule : Wizard's Fist Rule : Witch & Wizard : Winter Witch : The Dragons of Winter : Winter Prey : Night Prey : Dragons of Winter Night : Night's Daughter : Daughter of the Empire : Servant of the Empire : Servant of the Dragon : Red Dragon : Red Shadows : Plague of Shadows : The Emperor's Plague : The Emperor's Knife : Knife of Dreams : Dust of Dreams : Graveyard Dust : The Graveyard Book : The Book of Lost Things : The God of Small Things : The Scourge of God : Scourge of the Betrayer

70! TJ

Seeker (mcdevitt) / Angel seeker (reversed) (Shinn) / Night angel (weeks)
White night (reverse) (butcher) / White dragon (McCaffery) / Dragon Prince (Rawn)
Prince of thorns / King of thorns (reversed) / King of Dreams (Silverberg) / City of lost dreams (reversed) (flyte) / City and the City (mieville) / City at the end of time (Bear) / Time of the dark (hambly) / Dark man (King) / Hollow man (reversed) (simmons) / Hollow City (wells) / City in winter (helprin)  /Wolf of winter (reversed) (volsky) / Wolf speaker (pierce) / speaker for the dead (card) / The book of the dead (reversed) (Lee) / Book of the Mad (Lee) / Mad ship (hobb)
Ship if magic (Hobb) / Magic in the blood (monk) / Blood of Dragons (Hobb) / City of dragons (reversed) (Hobb) / City of Sorcery (Bradley) / Queen of Sorcery / (reversed) (Eddings) / Witch queen (reversed) (Siegel) / Witch world (Norton) / World without end (Russell) / Magicians end (reversed) (feist) / Magicians apprentice (canavan) / Assassins apprentice (reversed) (Hobb) / Kronor the Assassins (reversed) (feist) / Kronor the betrayal (feist) / Betrayal in winter (Abraham) / Winter rose (McKillip) / Rose daughter (mckinley) / Daughter of the blood (bishop) / Scenting Hallowed Blood (reverse) (Constantine) / Scenting the Dark (Kowal) / Dark is Rising (Cooper) / Shadow Rising (reverse) (Jordan) / Shadow (duncan) / Shadow of the Wind (Zafon) / Name of the wind (reverse) (rothfuss) / name of the rose (eco) / Crystal rose (bohnhoff) / Crystal city (card) / City of Bones (wells) / bones of haven (green) / guards of haven (reversed) (green) / guards guards (pratchett) / phoenix guards (reversed) (Brust) / Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix (reversed) (rowling) / Harry Potter and the half blood prince (rowling) / prince of fire and ashes (reiman) / ashes of victory (weber) / victory (cooper) / victory of eagles (novick) / fortress of eagles (reverse) (Cherryh) / fortress of ice (Cherryh) / ice dragon (Martin) / Dragon (Brust) / Dragon knight (Dickson) / True Knight (reversed) (dexter) / True Game (tepper) / End of the game (reversed) (tepper) / End of the matter (Foster)

105! Queen Nadine *winner*

Numerous close-ups provided to cover entire set in legible detail.

The repeat titles (mostly 'calculus' are separate books by different authors)

1.       The Big Book of Movie Music

2.       Soul Music

3.       The Emperor’s Soul

4.       The Emperor’s New Mind

5.       Children of the Mind

6.       Children of the Blood

7.       Prince of Blood

8.       Dragon Prince

9.       King’s Dragon

10.   The Wizard King

11.   Wizard War

12.   On War

13.   On Thermonuclear War

14.   The Forever War

15.   The Forever King

16.   King of Thorns

17.   Prince of Thorns

18.   The Prince

19.   The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

20.   Secret Seven Mystery

21.   Secret Seven Win Through

22.   A Man Rides Through

23.   Man and Boy

24.   The Lost Boy

25.   The Lost Gate

26.   The Seventh Gate

27.   Seventh Son

28.   Asterix and Son

29.   Asterix at the Olympic Games

30.   Mathematical Games

31.   Mathematical Magic

32.   Secret of the Sixth Magic

33.   Secret Seven on the Trail

34.   Blood Trail

35.   Daughter of the Blood

36.   Daughter of the Empire

37.   Foundation and Empire

38.   Foundation

39.   Foundation’s Edge

40.   Shadow’s Edge

41.   Shadow

42.   Shadow Moon

43.   New Moon

44.   New Directions in the Philosophy of Mathematics

45.   Foundations of Higher Mathematics

46.   The Foundations of Geometry

47.   Geometry: An Introdcution

48.   Introduction to Real Analysis

49.   Analysis on Manifolds

50.   Calculus on Manifolds

51.   Calculus for Scientists and Engineers – Early Transcendentals

52.   Calculus – Early Transcendentals

53.   Calculus

54.   Calculus

55.   Calculus – Single Variable

56.   Calculus – Single Variable

57.   Calculus

58.   Calculus – Early Transcendentals

59.   Calculus – Early Transcendentals

60.   Advanced Calculus

61.   Advanced Calculus

62.   Advanced Calculus

63.   Advanced Calculus – An Introduction to Analysis

64.   Analysis in Vector Spaces

65.   Linear Topological Spaces

66.   Linear Algebra Ideas and Applications

67.   Linear Algebra with Applications

68.   Linear Algebra with Applications

69.   Linear Algebra with Applications

70.   Linear Algebra

71.   Algebra

72.   Algebra

73.   Contemporary Abstract Algebra

74.   Contemporary Geometry

75.   Vector Geometry

76.   Vector Calculus

77.   Advanced Calculus

78.   Advanced Modern Engineering Mathematics

79.   Understanding the New Mathematics

80.   Understanding War

81.   War Day

82.   The Light of Day

83.   Lord of Light

84.   Lord of Snow and Shadows

85.   The King of Light and Shadows

86.   The King’s English

87.   The Short Story in English

88.   The Big Short

89.   Big Red

90.   Snow White, Blood Red

91.   Mr. Snow

92.   Mr. Small

93.   Small Gods

94.   American Gods

95.   An American Dream

96.   A Midsummer Night’s Dream

97.   Midsummer Night

98.   White Night

99.   The White Gryphon

100.                        The Black Gryphon

101.                        Black Swan Green

102.                        Green Mars

103.                        Princess of Mars

104.                        A Little Princess

105.                        Big and Little