Distant Rumblings by John Goode

[Octobercountry]

I was so impressed with John Goode’s Foster High novels that I had the urge to read more of his work right off, and I started with Distant Rumblings :

Kane Vess may be gay, but he is also extraordinarily ordinary—a crushing weight in Athens, Iowa, where a person’s worth is measured by his uniqueness. But when he meets the school’s newest student, Kane’s ordinariness seems to evaporate. He is desperate to get to know the mysterious stranger… and that leads him into danger.

Hawk is an exile from his homeland, an otherworldly traveler with impossible abilities and a changeling bodyguard. He’s generally disappointed in Earth, which seems common except for Kane. But while Hawk and Kane explore their mutual interest, the forces that made Hawk an exile are busy tracking him down. Kane’s newfound feelings pull him into Hawk’s shadowy fantasy world, where he learns he needs to grow up fast. Kane’s life may now be extraordinary, but if he isn’t careful it could cost him everyone he holds dear—including Hawk.

Here we have a story where the realms of Faerie and the mortal world collide. It’s been a while since I read a novel about the Fae--I generally enjoy these sorts of stories, and this one was no exception.

The tone of the story is a bit lighter than that of the Foster High books, with some humour on display as Kane tries to explain the mortal world to the sometimes snobbish Hawk (who is, in fact, son of Titania and Oberon). And the boys have some interesting conversations as they compare and contrast what counts for true worth, what is really important, in each of their worlds.

I appreciated the comedic elements, though the book certainly isn’t all sweetness and light. There’s danger and adventure to spare here---after all, there are people tracking down the protagonists to kill them, for goodness sake. And there was one plot development that I found to be quite heartbreaking---matter of fact, the more I think about it the more upsetting it is for me, though the author didn’t dwell overmuch on this aspect of the story.

The book ends with a cliffhanger, so I am immediately jumping into the sequel, titled Eye of the Storm. Recommended.

Distant Rumblings

[Ulysses]

Once again, I seem to have posted about these in the wrong folder. I guess I have no sense of what's reality and what's fantasy! Obviously.

Point being, I enjoyed these, but was frustrated that the second one ended and now I have to wait for the sequel. I HATE WAITING.

[Octobercountry]

I know what you mean. Sometimes I'll wait until a series has been completed before I'll even start reading it, so I can zip through the books one after another without any waiting. I didn't in this case, because I had enjoyed John Goode's "Foster High" so much that I wanted to read more of his work right off.

'Course, with my very poor memory, if any significant length of time does go by between my reading individual volumes of a series, I end up having to re-read the earlier books before I can continue on with the later ones---because I inevitably end up having no recollection of just what was going on...