2006-01-20
The Lion of Farside
Author: John Dalmas
When Curtis Macurdy was growing up on a farm in Indiana, his Aunt Varia just seemed like a slightly peculiar redhead. Nothing all that wrong with that, and Uncle Will loved her. But a year after Will's death in a logging accident, Varia retrieved Curtis from his bed to hers, leading to their marriage. Seems she's got a thing for the Macurdy bloodline, and wants children from it, despite continually miscarrying with Will. Curtis begins to learn about just how different Varia is, and the world she comes from, reachable through a few gateways that open at midnight on the night of every full moon. When Varia's family kidnaps her and takes her back to that world, Curtis leaves his own behind to get her back.
The novel starts quickly, has an interesting premise, and keeps the action moving toward the easily understood goal of this couple's reunion. Most of the narrative follows Curtis's or Varia's thoughts. A few sections jarringly switch the perspective to one of the other characters. Once the two leading characters are separated, the author follows one or the other for several chapters, taking months of story time, at a stretch. The usual convention would have more rapidly alternating viewpoints. Nonetheless, the story is engaging right through about 38 of the 44 chapters.
As good as the beginning is, the ending ruins the book. It's as if Dalmas wrote himself up to a point, got ready to close it out, and realized he wanted to leave his characters somewhere completely different for the sequel. Scared of having a weak ending, he packs far too much in the last five chapters. Significant events happen without any sense of purpose. It's like a smooth flight from New York to Los Angeles going perfectly when, late in the final approach, the pilot pulls up and banks sharply to head towards San Diego, where he crashes. If my reading of the sequel's (The Bavarian Gate) setting is correct, the last few chapters could have easily been moved to the front of that book where they'd at least make a little sense.
Rape is prominent in the story, and an examination of marriage vows and polyamory is part of the theme. The conclusion to that study I found unsatisfying, and I hope it wasn't meant to be the book's message. I'm not sure what to say without giving away too much of the story.
I enjoyed most of the time I spent reading the story, finding it good but not great. I might have looked at the sequel or some of the author's other work. The ending did it for me though. I'm left with no particular interest in seeing what else happens in this world. "Farewell to Yuuluth" indeed.
Download The Lion of Farside from the Baen Free Library.
When Curtis Macurdy was growing up on a farm in Indiana, his Aunt Varia just seemed like a slightly peculiar redhead. Nothing all that wrong with that, and Uncle Will loved her. But a year after Will's death in a logging accident, Varia retrieved Curtis from his bed to hers, leading to their marriage. Seems she's got a thing for the Macurdy bloodline, and wants children from it, despite continually miscarrying with Will. Curtis begins to learn about just how different Varia is, and the world she comes from, reachable through a few gateways that open at midnight on the night of every full moon. When Varia's family kidnaps her and takes her back to that world, Curtis leaves his own behind to get her back.
The novel starts quickly, has an interesting premise, and keeps the action moving toward the easily understood goal of this couple's reunion. Most of the narrative follows Curtis's or Varia's thoughts. A few sections jarringly switch the perspective to one of the other characters. Once the two leading characters are separated, the author follows one or the other for several chapters, taking months of story time, at a stretch. The usual convention would have more rapidly alternating viewpoints. Nonetheless, the story is engaging right through about 38 of the 44 chapters.
As good as the beginning is, the ending ruins the book. It's as if Dalmas wrote himself up to a point, got ready to close it out, and realized he wanted to leave his characters somewhere completely different for the sequel. Scared of having a weak ending, he packs far too much in the last five chapters. Significant events happen without any sense of purpose. It's like a smooth flight from New York to Los Angeles going perfectly when, late in the final approach, the pilot pulls up and banks sharply to head towards San Diego, where he crashes. If my reading of the sequel's (The Bavarian Gate) setting is correct, the last few chapters could have easily been moved to the front of that book where they'd at least make a little sense.
Rape is prominent in the story, and an examination of marriage vows and polyamory is part of the theme. The conclusion to that study I found unsatisfying, and I hope it wasn't meant to be the book's message. I'm not sure what to say without giving away too much of the story.
I enjoyed most of the time I spent reading the story, finding it good but not great. I might have looked at the sequel or some of the author's other work. The ending did it for me though. I'm left with no particular interest in seeing what else happens in this world. "Farewell to Yuuluth" indeed.
Download The Lion of Farside from the Baen Free Library.
