16 December 2006

Yukito Kishiro 'Battle Angel Alita Last Order: Angel's Vision'

Yukito Kishiro does an Anne Rice in this surprising return to form in storytelling in 'Angel's Vision'. It is hardly surprising these days that he would venture down this unoriginal path after Anne Rice created the blond Lestat. We have everyone doing derivative tales of vampires or immortal beings battling for world supremacy and survival in the stylish Russian flick, 'Nightwatch', the Hollywood 'Underworld' and 'Underworld: Evolution', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'Interview with a Vampire' and lots lots more. What can be more derivative than this?

After the last two dismal Alita books, this one comes as a godsend as there is actually a real storyline, despite being a sidetrack with little to do with Alita (initially). At least, it is not another sidetrack of the story of the life and death of a minor character with little bearing in the vein of the neverending soap opera found in George R.R. Martin's horrid, overrated and overhyped 'A Tale of Song and Ice' series.

Angel's Vision is a melodrama of vampires living in a perilous age where an asteroid had just destroyed the earth. It is a tale of betrayal, revenge, love and more. Alita? Well, she is merely someone who has accessed these memories of a previous age. Otherwise...

Great engrossing tale. I suspect it will continue for at least one more book at the very least. In other words, the Last Order series will have at least ten books...

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