The
Last House in the Galaxy
by
Andy Secombe
Andy
Secombe has made quite a name for himself as a comic fantasist already,
with his delightful Limbo and Limbo II (both reviewed
on this site) and now he is back for a third slice of his own brand
of magical madness. Freedom fighter Matt Fripp has stolen the Helian
Cartogram from the clutches of the evil Gulgus Filch and has made
off with it down the nearest wormhole. Trouble is, it is not the
right one and instead he ends up in the grounds of Hambledon Hall,
a stately home in Devon that is badly in need of repair. It seems
ideal as a venue for his ally General Glaak Raffin to host a meeting
of the Galactic Alliance, and butler Whipple has the unenviable
task of hiding it all from Sir Percy and Lady Trenchard. With fellow
rebel Mariella Schprungg in the hands of torturer Glitch McGilvray
and the Cartogram playing havoc with the Hall, Matt has to save
the universe.
Comic fantasy that works as well
as this is a real joy. Secombe's secret lies in having a proper
plot instead of just a lot of slapstick and wordplay, and in having
a fantasy story with comedy rather than just jokes about fantasy
as a genre. There is plenty of humor about modern life, woven together
with adventure and topical remarks about the horrors of religious
persecution. So there is a lot to enjoy in here, whether it is the
sequences in the theme park gone bad, the hilarious aliens, the
set pieces in the arena and with the clown or even the happy ending.
I couldn't put it down, and love the way it manages to be as satisfying
as any other good novel but with the added benefit of being genuinely
funny. Secombe probably ought to be available on prescription, so
when is his fourth book coming out?
|
The
Book |
(Tor UK) Macmillan UK |
30 May 2005 |
Trade Paperback |
140504618X |
Fantasy [Devon, UK and Fantastic Location] |
More at Amazon.co.uk |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The
Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
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