Great Ending, But Don't End It!
by Teapot
 |
The
Ghosts of Blood
and Innocence
(2005)
by Storm Constantine |
| BOOK
LINKS
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Note: This review contains plot spoilers.
I
need to get the sex out of the way first, or I won't be able
to concentrate. When we were all first introduced to Wraeththukind
and learned of their two-for-the-price-of-one, double-the-fun
anatomy, I'm sure every other reader must have wondered, as
I did – Could they? Would they? Well, they can and
they do. I won't spoil it for you, but do have a fresh pair of
knickers on hand!
Right, onward: Previously on Wraeththu...
Doing
what they do best has resulted in a mini population explosion
for the Aralis family. Three new scions of this dynasty have
arrived to continue on in the family tradition of being beset
by Destiny and personal problems from all sides. The new kids
on the block are Geburael, the son of Ponclast and Abrimel;
Loki, who is the result of a momentary lapse of concentration
on the part of Pellaz while he was saving the world with the
help of Galdra; and Darquiel, the son of Cal, Pell and Rue,
who – frankly – has
not had the best start in life a young harling could hope for,
what with being stolen before he was born and all that.
Darquiel is now hidden away in the back of beyond in what seems,
even at the outset, to be a futile attempt to prevent Destiny
from gleefully leaping on him from a great height and giving
him a good pummelling, since our Darq reveals himself from the
off to be a tad weirder than the average har (and how normal
are you ever going to be if you've got one more parent than is
generally considered necessary?). Geburael has vanished without
trace, and Loki is living the high-life in Immanion with the
best haircuts money can buy, and as the son of Cal and Pell,
a secure place in the family business of ruling the world. Loki,
as diligent Wraeththuphiles will recall, is not, in fact, Cal's
son. His natural father is Galdra, whom Pell had a bit of a thing
about in Shades. Still, with the birth of this son, Pell
has become a sensitive and caring parent, prepared to put the
happiness and wellbeing of his family before his own wishes.
Okay, I lied about that. Pell is still a selfish bastard with
a penchant for pouting when he doesn't get his own way. Mr Sulky's
problem is that he still harbours moist thoughts about Galdra,
the Cal-like Freyhellan leader. Then, a strange occurance in
Freyhella prompts renewed concerns about the mysterious otherworldly
entities who seem to take such a keen interest in Wraeththu politics,
and it is decided this is a good opportunity to send young Loki
off to visit the land of his fathers. It'll all end in tears,
you think, and you would not be far wrong...
This is the beginning of a series of events which conspire
to bring the three young members of the family into contact,
and conflict, with each other. Old rivalries and hatreds bubble
and simmer, while new alliances are formed, and not just within
the ranks of Wraeththu. Vested interests and sneaky dealings
lurk behind every tree, and in the middle of it all, our young
protagonists have to go through puberty and deal with adolescent
emotional angst while struggling with Destiny, who obviously
hasn't had so much fun in years!
This is probably the most plot-driven book of all the Wraeththu
series. Unexpected twists and turns and gob-smacking revelations
come at us so fast we have to duck as they go whizzing past our
ears. Suddenly, the whole Wraeththuverse expands alarmingly and
the story becomes as tangled as a half-knitted tank top after
the cat's been at it.
But in common with the other books of the series, Ghosts also
deals with the personal side of being caught up in world-shaking
events. Wraeththu heros never manage the James Bond style of
cool, detached world-saving, and thank goodness too! It's the
very realness of the characters' emotional turmoil which gives
the books their depth. Even the older characters continue to
evolve. For example, the ever-changing Ponclast reveals yet more
facets to a character which, if he was human, would be frankly
unbelievable for the way it mutates, yet because he is a har,
it's fascinatingly strange and compelling. We want to know more.
What is his history? What makes him tick? Will the real Ponclast
ever be revealed? At one point in this book, Ponclast tells Pellaz “...we're
not so different, you and I,” and though Pell can't (or
won't) see it, it's true – in many ways the theme of the
whole Wraeththu series is the glimpses it gives us into the good
aspects of the bad characters, and the bad aspects of the good
characters, and how they can be very much the same thing.
Tragically,
for the sixth book running, the award for Character Most In
Need Of A Good Slap goes to Pellaz har Aralis who, as intimated
above, has yet again resoundingly failed to acquire even minimal
personal insight, and is still marinading ripely in self-pity
and self-absorbtion. He pouts, he sulks, he whinges. He could
whinge for Almagabra! By page 142 even the long-suffering Rue
is beginning to notice. In a book positively popping at the
seams with mysteries, the greatest mystery of all is what Pell
sees in the insipid Galdra. I don't get it. Lusting after Galdra
when you've got Cal and Rue at home is a bit like going out for
Spam fritters and a can of Tizer when you've got Lobster Thermidor
and bottle of Dom Perignon in the fridge. Doesn't help that I
keep picturing Galdra wearing a Hagar-the-Horrible style horny
hat, even in his more...er... intimate... moments. (yeah, too
much information – sorry!) Still, there's no accounting
for taste, and once again it's left to Pell's nearest and dearest
to mop up after him.
To
be honest, I don't really buy the Happy Ending™. Doesn't
score on the Teapot Bunny-o-meter, I'm afraid, since in the end
I'm left with the impression that the one true love of Pellaz-har-Aralis'
life is Pellaz himself. Nope, if you're looking for Bunny Moments
in this book, the real three-handkerchiefer is when little orphan
Darquiel is reunited with his parents. Aw, bless! More poignant
is Pell's attempt to reconcile with his eldest son, Abrimel,
possibly the only time Pell experiences a moment of self-understanding.
With Ghosts, the Wraeththu Histories come
to a rather unexpected conclusion, but I for one refuse to
accept that this is the end. There must be some clause in the
European Human Rights legislation that prevents authors from
abandoning their characters! There are just too many stories
still left untold: Geburael – any son of Ponclast must be worth following
around obsessively just to see what he does. And Velaxis – devious,
underhand, scheming... and just a little bit kinky too. What's
not to like? Mostly, though, the only thing that keeps me going
these days is my conviction that someday, somewhere, Pellaz has
an appointment with somebody's slapping hand. (Cue that scene
from the movie Airplane in which there is a queue of people
lined up to slap the hysterical passenger. Fade to entire cast
of Wraeththu lining up to land one on Pell, with Rue and Cal
bringing up the rear brandishing a frying pan and baseball bat
respectively. Works for me! ;-) )
About
the Author:
Teapot is a sad and obsessed
fan of Wraeththu :) Email is teapot@doramail.com. |
