What Fire Cannot Burn
Sequel to Those Who Walk In Darkness
by John Ridley
John Ridley follows up Those Who Walk In Darkness with a new thriller, What
Fire Cannot Burn. The story begins with a passage from the journal of Soledad O'Roark,
one of the top officers in the Los Angeles Police Department's Metanormal Tactical Force's
G Platoon. In other words, she is a "freak" hunter. A "freak" is a mutant human with genetic
changes who can do superhuman things, such as move very fast, have superhuman strength,
fly without a plane, throw fire, and the list goes on. Soledad leads her element of four
MTac specialists into a bank where a shapeshifter has torn apart two men who had attempted
to rob the bank. The would-be robbers were junkies desperate for their next fix. They
were no match for the freak.
All the bank employees have been evacuated. All that is left for Soledad and her team
are the remains of the robbers and the freak. It could look like anything. Soledad leads
in her team, looking for anything out of place. When she considers that whatever shape
the freak took, it had to retain the same mass, there is only one thing it could be. Of
the four desks sitting in the lobby, one had no chair. Soledad opens fire with her modified
O'Dwyer.
Three things bothered me about this book. The violence was much too graphic. I also
feel intelligent sci-fi readers don't need the foul language. I found the term "freak"
in reference to those different from the norm offensive, but true to life. The story itself
is absorbing, however. It holds some major surprises and, despite the flaws, is well worth
reading. Grab a copy and enjoy. |
The Book |
Aspect |
January 1, 2006 |
Paperback |
0-446-61203-0 |
Science Fiction |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Contains graphic violence, foul language |
The Reviewer |
Jo Rogers |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: |
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