From idea to flesh to myth, this is the story of Alec Checkerfield: Seventh Earl of Finsbury, pirate, renegade, hero, anomaly, Mendoza's once and future love. Mendoza is a Preserver, sent back from the twenty-fourth century by Dr. Zeus, Incorporated-the Company-to recover things from the past which would otherwise be lost. She's a botanist, a good one. She's an immortal, indestructible cyborg. And she's a woman in love. In sixteenth century England, Mendoza fell for a native, a renegade, a tall, dark, not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality.He died a martyr's death, burned at the stake. In nineteenth century America, Mendoza fell for an eerily identical native, a renegade, a tall, dark, not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality. When he died, she killed six men to avenge him. The Company didn't like that-bad for business. But she's immortal and indestructible, so they dumped her in the Back Way Back. Now, stranded 150,000 years in the past, there are no natives for Mendoza to fall in love with. She tends a garden of maize, and she pines for three thousand years for the man she lost twice.
Then, one day, out of the sky and out of the future comes a renegade, a time- faring pirate, a tall, dark, not handsome man who radiates determination and sexuality. This is the beginning of the end.
Book #5 in the Company series is way more fun than I thought it was going to be after I realized it focuses on the third incarnation of Mendoza's doomed lover. While the last book piled on question after question, this book finally provided tons of answers while still leaving plenty of mystery to look forward to.
Nicholas/Edward/Alec reminded me a bit of Dawn from Buffy; at first their existence requires a suspension of disbelief, but then it's revealed that they serve an important purpose that was plotted from the beginning. It's a bit of a relief, realizing that it's not weak writing and is instead something woven together quite competently.
It looks like book #6 shifts the focus to a new character again, but this time I'm looking forward to what this new perspective will reveal instead of being wary that it'll just avoid answering questions.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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29 March, 2010:
Finished reading
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29 March, 2010:
Reviewed