I liked Homecoming, just as I’ve liked almost all the Montague and Strong series, but it wasn’t quite up to the standards author Orlando Sanchez set with his first four novels in the series.
On the plus side we have the usual badness from Monty and Simon, we have Uncle Dex, we have Peaches, we have a super villain Oliver who wants to take over the mages first, then the world, we have Professor Ziller, he whom everyone refers to when they discuss the most esoteric (and scary) magic and we have non-stop action.
So what’s wrong? First, people just die for what seems like little reason, sacrificing themselves for little gain. The bodies pile up, which is not uncommon in a M&S book, but usually it’s clear why they are dying. In Homecoming why do the villainous side-kicks throw their lives away? Their goal is for Oliver to rule; it is hard to see how that motivates minions and henchmen to throw themselves on Monty’s magic swords. (I’m having a hard time imagining Oliver’s motivation speech.)
Second, I cannot abide new characters LD and TK Tush. Who wants people who care only about how scary and how much magical power they have?
Third, the byplay between Simon and Monty is the centerpiece of the M&S novels, it is the reason the stories work. Homecoming has the interaction but it doesn’t feel as immediate as other novels. Simon seems to play catch up much of the novel.
Author Sanchez says he is letting us further into the M&S world with each novel, letting us peek behind the scenes and learn more about each character. He gave us quite a bit on Monty in Homecoming and its predecessor Silver Clouds, Dirty Sky. I enjoy getting to know the characters and the feeling we truly are getting acquainted.
I couldn’t put Homecoming down, just as with the prior novels in the series. The super-fast pace has a downside, though, in that a couple of months after reading it I didn’t recall the events very well. I had to go back and check a couple things when the sequel, Dragons and Demigods, came out (which of course I immediately purchased and read.) Much as I enjoy speed-of-light plots, it might be wise to linger a bit over some of the Simon/Monty or Peaches scenes and let us readers savor the pleasure.
4 Stars
Leave a Reply