 | EUROPE'S MOST VISITED SF/F WEB SITE |
| Angel:
Stranger To The Sun by Jeff Mariotte check out website: www.simonsays.com
'Stranger To The Sun'
takes place in Season 2 BF or Before Fred. For a change, there is no running interference
by Wolfram and Hart - that being the one thing out of place. The fabulous four
leads take centre stage. When Angel Investigations receives a mysterious
package, Wesley opens it. A cloud of green dust envelopes him and he falls into
a coma. Angel thinks the drug is Calynthia powder recently used by Darla to keep
him in thrall. Deprived of Wesley's analytical mind, he sets out to bang some
heads together. Gunn enlists his crew and finds a city-wide conspiracy and lots
of sleeping people. Meanwhile, Wesley faces his own challenge in a mineshaft with several other miners. His previous existence fades from his mind and he is unaware that to his friends back in LA he is apparently unconscious. After a rock fall, it is up to Wesley to muster his leadership skills otherwise they will all die. Once again, the book follows the themes of the show. It looks at the character traits that were developing in Season Two and draws on them. Gunn is feeling the pull of both of his 'crews'. Wesley is finding his feet and starting to develop as a stronger person. There are two plots running concurrently and they are nicely balanced. The plotting is good and consistent although as in many other tie-ins the end feels a slight anti-climax. It
is written episodically with enough tension developing along the way to keep the
reader's interest. One thing that jars is the introduction of two human characters
due to meet a sticky end. It reminded me of 'Casualty' where a character is brought
on and given background just so they can be killed of. That made me queasy.All
in all though a good addition to the 'Angel' series of books. A quick and undemanding
read. Sue Davies
|
OTHER REVIEWS - October 2003
More reviews: October 2003 Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson The Dark Path by Walter H. Hunt A Place So Foreign And Eight More by Cory Doctorow The Fifth Sorceress by Robert Newcomb The Gates Of Dawn by Robert Newcomb Stories Of Your Life And Others by Ted Chiang Beyond The Hanging Wall by Sarah Douglass Kingdom River by Mitchell Smith The Year's Best Science Fiction (20th Annual Collection) edited by Gardner Dozois SpyHigh Episode 1: The Frankenstein Factory by A.J. Butcher SpyHigh Episode 2: The Chaos Connection by A.J. Butcher Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett Angel: Stranger To The Sun by Jeff Mariotte The Xenocide Mission by Ben Jeapes The Poison Master by Liz Williams The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon Shadowheart (Legends Of The Raven) by James Barclay [Spooks] Confidential: The Official Handbook by Jim Sangster
| ||||||||
When producing a book for the tie-in market,
one of the most important things is to get the tone and dialogue
of the characters right. In the series we rely on visual appearance,
responses to other characters and method of delivery. 
One
of the first things I noticed about this book was the dialogue between Wesley
and Cordelia. They sound right and it sets the tone for the book. Before the narrative
really starts, it establishes the 'Angelverse'.
 | |
| nest home | search engine | site directory | shop | library | tools | about us | | |
| |
... www.sfcrowsnest.com © 2001 CWant a ? Then send an e-mail to: hologramtales-subscribe@topica.com