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DixieGal · 08-03-2008, 03:29 PM

FINISHED READING: In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker(a TOR freebie)

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Until recently, I had never heard of Kage Baker. Then I read a few short stories by Baker which were really good. Then I found out that one of his stories is nominated for a Hugo award. So, when TOR gave this book away, it was sort of a special bonus. My expectations going in were high, and it did not disappoint me. However, this book may not be to everyone's taste. The theme of the book is a romance, with the scifi tossed in to mystery it up a bit.

Spoiler:

BACKGROUND: A mysterious corporation called "Dr. Zeus" has created time travel and immortality procedures. Immortality only works on young children. You know how I dislike stories with precocious kids, so happily, this book skips from when the central character, Mendoza, is a five year old trapped in a prison cell by the Spanish Inquisition. A "Dr. Zeus" operative who infiltrated the Inquisition rescues the little girl and takes her to the Company's 21st century training, where she grows up brilliant and immortal. (We, the readers, are mostly spared a description of her training, except to make clear that all of the kids are brought up in a 21st century environment, in order to know about technology and stuff.) Then she and her team are sent back to 1555 Spain, where they travel to England in order for super-botanist Mendoza to collect medicinal plants that have gone extinct by the 21st century.

PLOT: Young 17 year old Mendoza falls madly in love with the pale, heretical secretary of Sir Walter Iden. They quickly end up rolling around with each other all over the mansion and gardens. Their pillow talk is all about things like, "How can you love me but not my Catholic (or Protestant, depending on who is speaking) faith?" Mendoza sort of forgets who she is and plans to run off to Amsterdam with her lover. However, he accidentally finds out what she and her team are, and goes mad thnking he has been lead astray by demons. In the end, he burns at the stake.

ENDING: The book sort of ends strangely. It could have ended after the bonfire, but instead, about 6 pages seem to be tacked on to the end in order to lay the groundwork for a second title in a series. Suddenly, Mendoza is whisked back to the 21st century facilities in a modern, resort-like atmosphere in pre-Columbian aztec America. Mendoza gets over her lover pretty quickly and is ready to start out on her career as a New World botanist. Sort of like someone, an editor or someone, just slapped a happy ending onto a tragic love story.

In all, I enjoyed this book very much, even if the ending was not quite right. It's my second-favorite of the TOR books, behind Mistborn.

08-03-2008, 03:29 PM	#719
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	FINISHED READING: In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker(a TOR freebie) SPOILER ALERT!!! Until recently, I had never heard of Kage Baker. Then I read a few short stories by Baker which were really good. Then I found out that one of his stories is nominated for a Hugo award. So, when TOR gave this book away, it was sort of a special bonus. My expectations going in were high, and it did not disappoint me. However, this book may not be to everyone's taste. The theme of the book is a romance, with the scifi tossed in to mystery it up a bit. Spoiler: BACKGROUND: A mysterious corporation called "Dr. Zeus" has created time travel and immortality procedures. Immortality only works on young children. You know how I dislike stories with precocious kids, so happily, this book skips from when the central character, Mendoza, is a five year old trapped in a prison cell by the Spanish Inquisition. A "Dr. Zeus" operative who infiltrated the Inquisition rescues the little girl and takes her to the Company's 21st century training, where she grows up brilliant and immortal. (We, the readers, are mostly spared a description of her training, except to make clear that all of the kids are brought up in a 21st century environment, in order to know about technology and stuff.) Then she and her team are sent back to 1555 Spain, where they travel to England in order for super-botanist Mendoza to collect medicinal plants that have gone extinct by the 21st century. PLOT: Young 17 year old Mendoza falls madly in love with the pale, heretical secretary of Sir Walter Iden. They quickly end up rolling around with each other all over the mansion and gardens. Their pillow talk is all about things like, "How can you love me but not my Catholic (or Protestant, depending on who is speaking) faith?" Mendoza sort of forgets who she is and plans to run off to Amsterdam with her lover. However, he accidentally finds out what she and her team are, and goes mad thnking he has been lead astray by demons. In the end, he burns at the stake. ENDING: The book sort of ends strangely. It could have ended after the bonfire, but instead, about 6 pages seem to be tacked on to the end in order to lay the groundwork for a second title in a series. Suddenly, Mendoza is whisked back to the 21st century facilities in a modern, resort-like atmosphere in pre-Columbian aztec America. Mendoza gets over her lover pretty quickly and is ready to start out on her career as a New World botanist. Sort of like someone, an editor or someone, just slapped a happy ending onto a tragic love story. In all, I enjoyed this book very much, even if the ending was not quite right. It's my second-favorite of the TOR books, behind Mistborn. Last edited by DixieGal; 08-04-2008 at 11:00 AM.