Bookshelf

                           By Sue

The Lightless Dome:Book 1 in the Apotheosis Trilogy
Author: Douglas Hill
Pan Paperback, œ4.99

I bought this book for œ1.50 in a Dillons' bargain bin and it sat
on the shelf for quite a while. But when I started reading it, I
was immediately gripped by the tale despite the fact that I
didn't find the main character very likeable ... nothing intended
by the author, I'm sure, I just didn't like the bloke!

Anyway he, Red Cordell, is a movie extra in a 20th Century film
studio. He's a bit disillusioned with the life but in many ways it
suits him to have no ties or responsibilities. While preparing for
his current role, he finds a rather nice looking sword, with an
intriguing sheen to its blade, in the prop room.  He decides to
take it home with him, if you can call his lodgings 'home', and
he's preparing for a date with his latest girlfriend, posing with
the sword in front of a mirror, and clad only in a towel, when the
room spins and he finds himself in very unfamiliar surroundings -
a medieval street, facing a group of men with swords and crossbows
who are holding an old woman prisoner.

It turns out the that sword originated from this other world,
where it had belonged to a hero called Corodel. It had been
created by a band of witches or enchantresses called The
Sisterhood. These women are now in great trouble ... someone is
kidnapping them one by one, and one of their leaders, Aurilia, the
old woman, had been in great danger when she had called on the
sword, not knowing where it now was and not expecting to get Red
with it!  (Aurilia also has another form, a ravishingly beautiful
young woman, and so you'll probably guess that Red falls for her
before many pages have been turned.) The prince of the land in
which Red finds himself is also in trouble - his daughter has
vanished. Can there be a connection?  (Actually the reader knows
pretty early on that, yes, there IS a connection, and the daughter
isn't as innocent and sweet-natured as her father believes but it
is a while before Red, Aurilia and Krost, her other companion,
catch up on the information.)

Until Aurilia can send him back, Red is stuck in this land, at
first unwillingly, later getting dragged into the excitement
and discovering that this (and Aurilia) are what've been missing
from his life so far.  The three companions with Prince Phaedran
and some of his army find themselves in increasing danger at the
hands of an unscrupulous sorcerer who is trying to increase his
powers by any means possible, no matter how amoral.

The book ends at a good point with some problems solved but others
still waiting to be fixed. I am waiting to get the next book in
the series from our local library and hope the rest of the series
is as good as the first book.

@~If you've read any good, or bad, books lately with an SF or
@~fantasy theme, why not send in a review for next issue?

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