Journey to the Past (Review)
Journey to the Past (Review)
nd now we reach the end of The Story of Eidolon, third of the trilogy.
This book sees our young hero Hickory finally assuming the duties of an adult, actually joining scouting missions for the community of Portla (now that its good citizens have pulled their heads out of the mire that buried their pasts and have started looking forward again).
Finally, we get a chance to leave the community and see what is beyond.
I like these sorts of stories, that of a changed world with the evidences of what it had been. Like those shepherds who grazed their sheep in the Colosseum, one gets that eeire feeling of abandonment. And I’ll point out that, while I don’t know what happened that could somehow bury the entire city of Portland under dirt so quickly that people had only minutes to prepare, I don’t care. It’s just cool. Logical, no. Cool, yeah. All that is left is a forest perverted by the rubble of our past (in weird and wonderful ways), with occasional sink holes that open like trapdoors, dropping unwary travelers in the ancient rooms of buried buildings. And hanging deck bridges, covered with weeds. And gigantic local-landmark statues.
Like I said, cool.
But this world is moving on as the story winds down. Hickory is seeing his childhood friend Abacus fall into something like young love with dark-past Quantum. His father is busy with his airship. He’s being pulled into greater responsibilities with his new duties. Even his ghost is resolving her issues. Not since Cowboy Bebop have I felt this sense of gradual closure. It’s slow and sad and sweet, all those things.
But so many questions left unanswered. Somewhere out there, the ship that saved their ancestors is being salvaged (with hints of political fussery taking place amongst its salvagers). And the Church of Baltimore is scowling at being pushed aside by the forces of progress. And there is this whole other city, East Town, to explore. The world stretches out before us with its haunted glades where ghostly cars blur peripherally and train whistles sound distantly. In Lord of the Rings, we traveled across the map. Here, we hardly got out of the shire. Shame, since I’d like to know so much more about this world.
But it’s a great series for the YA crowd (as well as casual readers curious about new talents). It comes with my recommendation – it isn’t perfect (what book is?) but it’s certainly fun. Check it out on Amazon.