By John Farris
Almost thirty years later, the author John Farris has revisited his protagonists Robin Sandza and Gillian Bellaver. The novel begins by introducing us to the daughter of Gillian Bellaver- Eden Waring. Eden lives with her adoptive parents, Riley and Betts. Like her mother, she possesses supernatural powers, none more important than her premonitory dreams. During her valedictory speech, she warns everyone of an impending plane crash, and rescues many from the conflagration. The media latches onto the story giving her national publicity. Unfortunately, this draws all the wrong kind of attention. Soon she must deal with a cross dressing assassin, MORG agents, and shape shifting creatures: all while trying to save America from a terrorist attack.
We are also introduced to Eden’s doppelganger, her biological grandmother, and the husband of her biological mother. Eden’s abilities allow her to create the exact mirror image of herself, effectively allowing her to be in two places at one time. She can use this pseudo-twin as a means to gather information, or help those in needs, without fear of harm. Also important to the story is her biological mother’s husband. Tom Sherard is an African hunter, and a very rugged and versatile man. These abilities are the reason that Eden’s biological grandmother has asked for his assistance in finding Eden, and keeping her safe. A number of other characters are introduced and we become more familiar with people with psi abilities. The terrorist plot thickens as we learn more about the disabling events that have occurred to the President of the United States, and the involvement of the first lady.
Despite the abundance of characters, the story was not at all hard to follow. I was very anxious to find out what was going to happen as the story progressed, and to see the bad guys get what was coming to them. The author also did a great job of inserting the reader into the world of the novel. He provided adequate detail when appropriate, without droning on and on explaining how her powers work and various other anchors which would have hindered the story. I also found that I did not question the powers, and believe that the story would have been just as interesting in absence of the sci-fi material. My only complaint is that the conclusion was not as dramatic as I would have liked. Instead of a big huge build up to the final events of the book, I felt like it continued along at essentially the same pace. The ending happened, and that was it. I would not say I was dissatisfied with the ending, I just thought the buildup could have been better.
Rating: 4/5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: The Fury and the Power by John Farris
