SPOLER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!  SPOILER ALERT!


The Tinderbox by Lou Diamond Phillips



     Did I mention there are spoilers in this review?  


    Part Dune, part Romeo and Juliet and somehow reminiscent (in my mind, anyway) of the best parts of The Gormenghast Trilogy.  I’m not sure why, but as I read the book, parts of Gormenghast kept popping into my head. 


    The story follows Allegra and Everson—a princess rom Mano and a soldier-prince from Indira, planets at war.  Allegra’s father believes in a prophecy that proclaims that his reign will end when his daughter meets a soldier—so he has banned soldier from the castle and kept her sequestered inside for her entire life.


    Everson, a prince whose father forced him to serve in his planet’s military, end up left behind after a battle.  The horrors of war and the poor conditions on Mano prove to him that the war is misguided at best.  Trying to survive long enough to do something about that proves to be challenging.  His dark skin mark him as an Indiran on sight and the Indiran uniform doesn’t help. 


    Finding help isn’t easy, but he does end up with some unlikely allies.  In an inevitable turn of events, he and the princess meet.  She doesn't know he's a prince, but falls in love with him anyway.  The pari set out to find and talk to her father and try to set things right.  "Right" in Everson's mind means an end to the fighting.  He's astonished at the poverty he's seen on Mano and wonders what sort of threat his people really think Mano could be.  They're poor, there's little water, and their king is obsessed with a prophecy rather than on the fate of his people.


    Allegra, for her part, discovers just how much of a pawn she’s been, and her father’s obsession with the prophecy and just how far he’s gone to prevent it take her by surprise.  Thinking at first that her mother will be her refuge, her confidence waivers, and soon it’s only Everson she trusts.  


    Can Everson and Allegra sort our who deserves their trust?  Can they put an end to generations of fighting and restore peace to their homes?  


    Lou Diamond Phillips weaves a brilliant tale full of epic battles, clever narrative, and a satisfying ending.  This would be a great addition to any book lover’s collection.



 

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