TEST
Fans of Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty series will not be surprised by the entertainment found in her latest, After the Golden Age. If an action comic was morphed into prose, this it what you’d get. It’s a mystery, a drama, a sweet love story, and an action blockbuster movie all rolled into one, and is written so well that scenes from the graphic novel it could easily be scroll through your mind while you’re reading it.
We are introduced to Celia West, daughter of wealthy socialites Warren and Suzanne West. The West’s alter-egos are Captain Olympus and Spark, leaders of the Olympiad, a crime-fighting group of super-heroes that protect Commerce City. Celia’s alter ego (according to her) is Bait Girl, the normal daughter of extraordinary parents who, since being “outted,” has become a target for every miscreant in Commerce City that would use her to control her parents.
The opening scene, in which Celia is kidnapped – again! – provides an amusing insight into how mundane these hostage situations have become for Celia. Held in a room filled with men and guns, Celia is bored and tired and only wants to be home with a cup of hot chocolate. She’s given a script and is told to read it aloud for the camera. Taking one look, she says “Are you kidding?” – much to the captors’ dismay. When she finally agrees to read the list of demands and instructions, she does so in a frustrated monotone, prompting her abductors to ask, “Couldn’t you sound…you know…scared or something?”
It’s no wonder Celia tries to distance herself from her parents. All she wants is an ordinary life, to ride the bus to work, do her ordinary job as a forensic accountant for the DA’s office, maybe have a boyfriend. Unfortunately, her job requires that she get involved in the trial of Commerce City’s super-villain, Dr. Destructo. Unable to jail him for other, hardcore crimes, the city is prosecuting him for tax evasion.
The research Celia does into Dr. D’s finances unearths some surprising secrets that would seem to indicate past involvement with her family. During the trial, Celia is called to be a witness for the defendant instead of the prosecution, which reveals another secret, this one Celia’s. Her rebellious teen relationship with Dr. D, now made public record, whips the media into a frenzy. The result of all this is that the new super-villain that has apparently taken Dr. D’s place becomes suddenly very interested in Celia.
This book was hard to grade. It’s such a fabulous fantasy, with super-heroes, super-villains, a damsel in distress and a large cast of sidekicks and secondary characters, all of them well fleshed and interesting. And even though there is a lot of action, what with the various foiled crimes, crashes, explosions and kidnappings, it remains in essence a character driven book. We are given a lot of insight into what life is like for a child of over-achievers and what parental disappointment can do to a child’s soul. It also drives home the point that great gifts can come at a great price. I really wanted to give this book an A for entertainment, but it just didn’t qualify as a DIK for me because of one small issue. So I finally settled on B+ and highly recommended.
A lot of Celia’s past is revealed in the form of flashbacks. These were fun, but they’re also the source of my one complaint. I found the transition pretty rough a couple of times and was left scratching my head. And I also didn’t like the whiny self-centered Celia in the flashbacks. The present day Celia is pretty gutsy and has come to terms with always feeling that she’s a disappointment to her parents. You really want to like her, and I found her past actions and bad attitude jarring.
The review is spare of details because further plot points would spoil any one of various surprises. What happened to The Falcon? What went on in that warehouse? How can Dr. D be responsible for the recent rash of crazy burglaries and violence and kidnapping attempts against Celia when he’s locked up in isolation in prison? What’s going to happen with Celia and her love interest? There is a lot to absorb and it makes for some very fun reading.
As I said, I highly recommend After The Golden Age. While it’s not classified as a romance in any way, there is a sweet romance at the heart of it which remains surprisingly unburied by the pyrotechnics, the mystery, and the huge climax. I don’t often say this, but I hope and pray they make this one into a movie. I’d go and see it in a heartbeat.
Grade: B+
Book Type:
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 26/05/11
Publication Date: 2011/04
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.