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Angry Lead Skies | Rating | |
| B | |||
| Glen Cook | |||
| Series | Related Books | ||
| From the Files of Garrett, PI | Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts, Cold Copper Tears, Old Tin Sorrows, Dread Brass Shadows, Red Iron Nights, Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, Faded Steel Heat, Angry Lead Skies, Whispering Nickel Idols | ||
There's something strange going on. And in TunFaire, it takes a lot before something gets labeled as strange. Garrett, confidential agent, isn't concerned with reports of weirdness in the skies, though. He's more concerned with the kid who thinks somebody's out to get him. Or, at least, get his friends, who have been helping him develop some very strange devices. Unfortunately, just as Garrett is starting to take him seriously, he disappears. And then things start getting very strange indeed!
As usual, the people of TunFaire don't use much magic, and neither does the story. But quite frankly, the subject matter this time around makes up for it. The story is an interesting mix of science fiction and fantasy, and the former is downplayed as much as the latter. Readers shouldn't take long to make some theories on what is going on, which is why I don't fret over giving such mild spoilers without warning. But as is appropriate to the setting, the characters are totally bewildered. It's not easy to do this sort of plot, either, especially from the native perspective. Their worldview is simply not equipped to understand what is going on, and making it clear to the readers while leaving the characters puzzled is a fine line that Cook walks admirably.
The mix is interesting for other reasons, as well. What fan of science fiction or fantasy hasn't wondered what out happen if one were to meet up with the other? Not in the manner of, say, Shadowrun, where they are integrated reasonably well and people are familiar with each, but unexpectedly, where the wielders of each were previously unaware that the other existed? How would they react? What would they think?
Yet Cook doesn't take the humorous route when he makes the attempt, saving it from the same fate as Mary Gentle's Grunts, where the humor has a desperate feel to it and, in the end, isn't really all that funny. Nor does the author relegate either side to irrelevance, concentrating on one to the dtriment of the other. It's a good balance, with well-established characters reacting well within their known personalities to the unknown that they face.
Angry Lead Skies really has only one flaw that I could find, and even that one is of a subjective nature. Namely, I thougt the last third of the book, perhaps even a bit more, dragged more than a bit. It mostly consisted of sitting around at home and talking to people. There were no hunts, no chases, not really any detective work beyond inviting people over and talking to them.
It is this alone that prevents me from considering this a truly excellent novel. Everything else was very amusing, and the mixture of the two genres was done very well. For those who want a different twist to their fantasy, this book might be one worth checking out.
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