Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Sir Apropros of Nothing by Peter David
Pocket Books, July, 2001Hardcover, 503 pages.
ISBN: 0743412338
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
New York Times bestselling author Peter David
takes aim at the traditional fantasy hero's quest in
Sir Apropos of Nothing. Apropos was the result of
his mother's rape by a group of so-called noble
knights. As a result, she ended up turning to prostitution
to support her and her young son. Lame in one leg, but
with a fast wit, Apropos grows up learning to deal with
his disability and with a profound hatred for knights
and their so-called honor. When his mother is murdered,
Apropos sets out to find the killer, find his father to take
his revenge upon him, and make his fortune.
He ends up at the court of King Runcible, and is taken
on as a squire by the oldest and seemingly most incompetent
knight of them all: Sir Umbrage of the Flaming Nether Regions.
When he and Sir Umbrage are assigned the task of escorting
the Crown Princess Entipe back to court from the nunnery
where she has been staying, Apropos knows he's in trouble.
Soon Apropos and the attractive, yet thoroughly obnoxious,
Entipe are on the run from a mad phoenix, furious unicorns and
the numerous others who would be only too happy to
kill or enslave them. Will Apropos save the day and
become what he despises most: an actual hero?
Sir Apropos of Nothing is a picaresque tale which is full of adventure, noble deeds, all told in first person by Apropos himself. The book is darkly funny, as Peter David turns every fantasy convention upside down and inside out. Our hero is cynical and self-interested (yet usually does the right thing -- with one terrible exception), the princess seems to have a bent for arson, and the mythological creatures seem positively homicidal. Readers who are looking for a traditional fantasy should look elsewhere. But readers who enjoy great writing, a wicked sense of humor and vivid characters will find this to be one of the most refreshing and interesting books they've read in a long while.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Tech Manual by Michael Jan Friedman
Pocket Books, June, 2001Paperback, 128 pages.
ISBN: 0743423542
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
James Bond has "Q" and Lady Lara Croft has Bryce,
her one-man high tech engineering department whose
sole purpose is to outfit her for her amazing adventures.
Tomb raiding is no easy thing; a girl's gotta have all
her high tech gadgets and gizmos in order to beat the
bad guys and get the treasure. Bryce is a
computer and engineering expert who lives
in a well-equipped trailer outside Lady Croft's
mansion. Lara has some really cool equipment:
from her dual holsters for her .45s, her
bungee-cord equipped living room, parachutes,
high-speed motorcycle and truck and even
a backpack with enough tricks to make old "Q" green with
envy.
The Tech Manual features an ongoing conversation between Lara and Bryce as they discuss Lara's needs for her next adventure. With stills from the feature film, sketches of Lara's equipment and some snappy repartee, the Tech Manual -- ably imagined by Michael Jan Friedman -- is a must-have for Tomb Raider aficionados who long to know the inner secrets of Lara's high-tech accessories.
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