Imogen Gyony. The story is not of this Earth, but set in a Victorian era, somewhat steam punk world of magic and intrigue. Surnames are assigned to the house of the Primacy one belongs to if one has power descended from the angels or demons who have consorted with mankind over millennia; children with “power” are disbursed to chapter houses for training and support. As we meet our heroines, they are trouble-shooters or warriors protecting the normal populace from supernatural harm; their being lovers are hampered by the fact that Imogen is quite dead and extant in spirit form.4 Different houses of the Primacy have different goals and interactions with the average human being. Portia is dispatched to the titular convent to investigate a plea for help; Imogen reluctantly attends to her. Alas, the convent has been used for nefarious ends for many years by another house of the Primacy in an effort to create stronger beings from the Nephilim children. Imogen was a resident here and recognizes many of the children in stasis – her kind age much more slowly than Homo sapiens. Portia’s innate power has been desired for years and was the true goal of the pleas for help. Betrayal5, heroism and transformation are the order of the day; Portia is bound to an angel6, Imogen is reunited with her body and the direct conspirators are dispatched7. Upon the convent becoming engulfed in flames, our heroines save as many of the children in stasis as they can. The story ends on a cliff-hanger, with Imogen afraid to cross the boundary of the convent, as her protective sigils are no longer on her body… Which leads us directly into The Labyrinth of the Dead8, wherein Portia must travel into the land of the dead. She must do so in order to rescue Imogen’s spirit since she dropped dead upon leaving the convent’s grounds. Armed with the meagre supplies she can carry and her new angelic powers, Portia must 4
Spoiler: She gets better. Imogen worked for the enemy before falling in love with Portia. Truly, love conquers all. 6 Really. In a combination of Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Mengele and magic. Or is that magick? I lose track. It reads better than this, trust me. 7 Spoiler: Nigel makes a return appearance even though he is dead. In comic book terms, he is Phoenix dead, not Uncle Ben dead. 8 Apex Publications, 2010, $13.95 5
navigate the shadow world to bring her back to her waiting body. The alliances of the waking world are in effect here, as are the machinations of Belial to break through to the land of the living and expand her empire. The souls of the lost are of little help, but the army of Belial (once she is defeated) is key to opposing Nigel’s plans and affecting the rescue of Imogen’s essence. Portia expands her knowledge of her angelic power and aspects through battle and the revelation of her true father’s identity.9 The underworld’s tower breaks through a weak portion of the nexus between the land of the living and the dead, allowing Portia to save her love. Unfortunately, her angelic wings, which were of some use in the underworld, will not retract or disappear, sending us to… The Tower of the wherein Forgotten10, Portia is under orders to remain in the freak show of the circus near where the tower is a visible attraction back home. Portia and Imogen must determine who is behind all the Machiavellian meanderings and figure out how to stop the machinery of the underworld from completely breaching the world of the living. Allies abound from both prior volumes and the prequel in the form of some of the rescued children and the spirit of a young lass. Our heroines leap once more into the breach, to stop the spirit of Nigel as well as the infernal machinery working to destroy the boundary between worlds. Will there be a happy ending at last for our ladies?11 Analysis This trilogy might as well have been a single omnibus edition, the way it continued directly from book to book. Having read it both in instalments (with a year in between!) and all in one fell swoop, I feel it simply holds together as a big story better than component parts. Sara M. Harvey has obviously put a lot of thought into the politics of the Nephilim and their factions. (I would not be surprised if she has voluminous notes on each character and their motivations.) There is potential for a series of novels set in and around this world, 9
Whose essence has been transmuted into the battle ax given to her in the underworld. Not exactly a chatty guy. 10 Apex Publications, 2011, $13.95 11 I could tell you, but I hate spoilers. I didn’t give the plot twist in Bigfoot War II, even though Eric spouted it off himself. There should be some surprise.