Band of Gypsys (Gollancz Sf S.) [Hardcover]

Gwyneth Jones (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gollancz Sf S. | Publication Date: May 19, 2005

The riveting new instalment in Gwyneth Jones's award-winning 'Bold As Love' saga. Ax Preston, former dictator, returns to England; he's agreed to take up the job of Green President. At close quarters he finds some outrageous details in the contract, so the Triumvirate decamps for Paris, to sit out the first hard winter after the A team destroyed crude oil in ostentatious poverty. He's quite certain he can negotiate a better deal. But while Ax and Sage and Fiorinda are embarassing the English government over conditions in the new slavery labour camps, bad things are happening for the President of the USA. Fred Eiffrich's enemies in Washington are about to drop a bombshell, one that will shatter any hope of a return to former realities, former certainties. What happened at Lavoisier is not over. It's coming back, it's never going to end. At least not while Fiorinda lives ...or her child.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gwyneth Jones lives in Brighton with her husband and son. She has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the James Tiptree Memorial Award and two World Fantasy Awards; she has been shortlisted for every major award in the field.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Gollancz (May 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575070447
• ISBN-13: 978-0575070448
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,277,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars "Fiorinda laughed.", November 21, 2007

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Band of Gypsys (Paperback)

While Band of Gypsys has many of the same elements that made the first three books in the series so likeable, it feels rather significantly less baked. I think that this has to do with the fact that, despite being linked, the earlier books felt as though they could stand on their own. Band of Gypsys feels dependent on what came before and what (presumably) came afterwards. Furthermore, even though I still really like the characters, I'm a little bit less interested in the plot in this book somehow. The politics hijinks feel a little forced. Some of the elements that felt only unlikely have edged themselves over into improbable.

If you've read the first three, then the plot does not need rehashing. If you have not read the first three, then a description will not really help you. Suffice to say that Fiorinda, Ax and Sage are still standing together against and for the world.

Looking forward to Rainbow Bridge & I hope that it recaptures some of the energy that this book lost.

Three stars, really. But I gave it an extra star since the series is just so generally good.

4.0 out of 5 stars Super Reader, August 26, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Band of Gypsies (Gollancz Sf S.) (Hardcover)

Band of Gypsys seems to be somewhat of an interlude, until right near the end.

The Triumvirate have decamped to Paris, and are mostly happily hanging out there. Then they are talked into coming back to England to see what they can sort out.

As it turns out the current government has plans for them of the not so nice variety, and the rest of the world has plans for England.

Held as captive display ornaments, they are again together, until the government, desperate for magic weapons decides to have a crack at Sage's head. "You may not have realised this, but it is illegal to possess, or have in your possession, the precursors of weaponised magic.."

The rest of the UK wants nothing to do with the English nuts and is not going to share the technology.

Sage has done this to protect them. "...said Fiorinda, biting her lip. 'Because you went away, and he decided he was Superman and got his liver ripped out fighting a duel with my father. Now you see. You can't stop him either."

All this is moot, it appears, as the US and the Chinese have done a deal on what to do with the UK nuts.

Most of the book holding for what goes on in the next with the new state of the world, presumably.

5.0 out of 5 stars [e-mail], April 5, 2006

By 

Jennifer Smith "jhobbit" (Andalusia,,Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Band of Gypsies (Gollancz Sf S.) (Hardcover)

I LOVED THIS BOOK ! IT IS A COMBINATION OF PAT CAGAN'S SYNNERS AND PAUL MCAULEY FAIRYLAND!! A BUNCH OF ROCK AND ROLL MUSICANS FIGHTING EVIL ON US SOIL AND IN ENGLAND! I T IS GREAT!