Aceasta serie apare brusc in lista lui Terry Brooks, dupa First King of Shannara, fiind atat de diferite incat initial am crezut ca am gresit cartea. Actiunea are loc in lumea veche in SUA.
Running with the Demon ne introduce direct in conflictul dintre bine si rau, Word si Void, polaritati reprezentate de un demon si de Cavalerul Cuvantului John Ross. E o lupta continua care insa nu reuseste decat sa pastreze echilibrul fragil.
Prima carte din trilogie ne reaminteste cat de frustrante sunt secretele pastrate fara niciun alt scop decat acela de a permite povestii sa mearga mai departe. In unele situatii e vorba de chestiuni de viata si de moarte, insa secretele sunt tinute cu strictete ca si cum ar ajuta la ceva, ceea ce evident ca nu e adevarat.
Trecand peste acest aspect, lumea construita e mult mai credibila, ceea ce ne permite sa ne adancim in lectura mai mult decat o faceam in copiile dupa Tolkien.
Like a fever dream, the vision appears to her then. It comes out of nowhere, filling her mind with bright colors and movement. She is in another pan of the park, a part she does not recognize. It is night, black and clouded, empty of moon and stars, a devil’s night filled with pitch. Dark figures run through the trees, hunched over, lithe and supple. Feeders, she sees, dozens of them, their yellow eyes gleaming in the black. She feels her stomach knot with the realization that‘ they are certain to see her. Across the grassy stretches and along the pathways they bound, swift and certain. A woman leads them, young and strong, her shadowed face smiling and wild-eyed, her long, dark hair streaming out behind her. Nest blinks against the sight — a human at play with feeders, running with them, unafraid. The woman spins and wheels, and everywhere she goes, the feeders chase after her. She teases and taunts them, and it is clear that they are infatuated by her. Nest stands spellbound within the darkened park, staring in disbelief as the woman rushes toward her, all wicked smiles and laughter. She looks into the woman’s eyes, and sees there the lines that have been crossed and the taboos that have been broken. She sees the woman’s life laid bare, sees her soul unfettered and her heart unafraid. She will dare anything, this woman, and has. She will not be cowed or chastened; she will not be made ashamed.
Intreaga serie are doua personaje principale, iar aici ele fac cunostinta si au prima aventura impreuna. John Ross a fost recrutat in serviciul Cuvantului, traind de atunci in doua lumi. Lumea prezentului atunci cand e treaz, si a viitorului atunci cand doarme. Faptul ca traieste in viitor pe timpul noptii ii permite sa previna anumite catalisme induse de mesagerii Vidului, sau cel putin sa incerce. Nest Freemark e o tanara cu puteri magice, a carei poveste devine rapid evidenta, dar in stilul lui Brooks ne e relatata direct abia spre sfarsit.
A Knight of the Word ne introduce mai adanc in originile lui John Ross, si trebuie sa recunosc ca e cea mai buna intrare din cele trei carti, chiar daca finalul e previzibil. Trebuie sa acceptam ca asa scrie Terry Brooks.
Actiunea are loc in Seattle, iar orasul e o schimbare placuta in saga, insa si interactiunile cu multe personaje fac o lectura calda si placuta.
The old man cocks his head and lets his jaw drop, laughing softly, the sound high and eerie, and with this simple gesture he reveals himself He is unbalanced neither altogether mad nor completely sane, but something in between. He lives in a river that flows between two worlds, shifting from one to the other, a leaf caught by the current’s inexorable tug, his destiny beyond his control.
Angel Fire East, cu siguranta cea mai slaba carte din trilogie, introduce o forta magica imensa pe care Cuvantul si Vidul nu pot permite celuilalt sa o controleze. Cei mai puternici servitori ai lor sunt trimisi in aceasta lupta, John Ross si demonul Findo Gask.
Premiza se arata foarte interesanta, Findo Gask fiind un demon foarte batran si puternic, aducand cu el inca trei demoni imprevizibili. John Ross se bazeaza pe Nest Freemark, care e acum o femeie matura limitata in viata de puterile ei magice pe care nu le poate controla.
He moves quickly now, striding forward to help, to lower the cross, to remove the spikes, to free the man who hangs helplessly before him. But the man senses him now and in a ragged, whispery voice says, Don’t touch me. Ross stops instantly, the force of the other’s words and the surprise of his consciousness bringing him to a halt.
Avem parte de o introducere electrizanta care se stinge incet cu cat ne apropiem de final, cu caractere slab construite, decizii ilogice, si dezamagiri peste dezamagiri.
Contrar acestui final slab, recunosc ca mi-am imaginat o expunere pe micul ecran a acestei serii, avand mare potential pentru asa ceva.