Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Orbit (2 Feb 2006)
ISBN-10: 1841492833
Category(ies): Comic fantasy
Way back in this review, I said that Earth, Air, Fire and Custards was a 'definite end to the series.'.
Well, it was, insofar as that dealt with the Paul Carpenter story. In this new novel, still set at the St Mary's Axe premises, a new protagonist in introduced: Colin Hollinghead. He works at his Dad's factory in the widget industry, with a small allowance rather than an actual wage. The problem is that the factory is being out-competed, but Hollinghead Senior has a plan.
Oh, and there's a strange great tree growing up through the house, but it's not actually visible from outside.
In some respects, this is more of a reprise than anything fresh. Colin has somewhat less gumption than Paul did, and most of this one is based (yet again) on a true love on/off/on again sequence. In total,
enjoyable enough, but not quite as good as the previous in the series.
