Lindsey Davis: Rebels and Traitors

[selenak]

Save for one nitpick, this is actually the story I was expecting last year's disappointing miniseries The Devil's Whore to be: the English Civil War from a general pro-revolutionary perspective, with interesting, engaging characters on both sides (and of both genders), told suspenseful and, not surprising considering this is the author of the

Comments

[kalypso_v]

Thanks as ever for the review. There was one sentence I didn't understand:

"the viciousness of the later - and the impact it has for centuries to come - is made quite clear and made more harmless."

Should probably be "latter" not later, but it's the "made quite clear and made more harmless" that puzzles me - they seem to pull in different directions, and "harmless" doesn't fit with an impact lasting centuries. Did you mean that?

[selenak]

Apparantly my editor ate some words - the phrase should have said "and not made to look more harmless"!

[kalypso_v]

I guessed it must be something like that - thanks for clearing it up!

I do dislike it when interesting characters, whether villainous or ambiguous (eg Dukat or Pella), suddenly become two-dimensional villains for no apparent reason, so I appreciate your disappointment.

[selenak]

It's a phenomenon I dislike as well. But really, Orlando Lovel going from shades of grey character to sudden villain of story is the least of my irritation; the majority is because this entire last section should have been mainly from Juliana's pov, and her sudden passivity and helplessness do not fit with the character we see throughout the entire rest of the novel and just seem to exist to a) make it possible the novel ends with sudden and unexpected patricide, and b) Gideon has something to do in the last section. In other words, characters bent to the needs of plot, and it jars, you know?

[oracne]

That ending sounds totally disappointing. I wanted to read it up to then. Probably will still read it; but luckily, I have more Falco on the TBR.

[selenak]

It is a disappointing ending. But it's a good and long satisfying novel until then, so I think it's worth reading. No idea what suddenly got into Lindsey Davis other than that maybe her editor told her "it's not dramatic enough if Orlando just shows up and leaves again".

[wee_warrior]

My reaction is similar to the poster above, although I would have been hesitant to buy the book, given that I'm not a fan of the Falco novels. Alas, it does sound like a good story up to that ending.

[selenak]

Falco novels: I like the first four, then I think they're too formulaic, though still with some fun scenes. But Rebels and Traitors, disappointing ending aside, is definitely a good story.

[thuviaptarth]

Thanks for reviewing this; I'll be looking out for it.