World War III hit, and nobody noticed. Lost amidst the crooked politicians and corrupt corporate practices of the late 20th century, the American Dream became polluted and drowned out, replaced instead with an ever-growing chasm between the "haves" and "have-nots." No one is more aware of this than Billi Chadam. Daughter of honest industrialist Ray Chadam and heiress to the multi-billion dollar Chadam International empire, Billi finds herself in a whirlpool of murder and corporate espionage, framed for her father’s death, and on the run from those who are supposed to be her allies. But Billi has a secret, one she shared with her father before he was taken from her. By night Billi dons the mask of the Sword of Toleado, a sword-wielding vigilante bringing hope to the oppressed and striking fear in the oppressors. There’s more to saving her city than sword-waving heroics can accomplish, though, and before the tensions between her company’s employees and the city’s on-the-take police force reach a boiling point, Billi must set the balance right, no matter what the cost.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In the post-apocalyptic city of Sulter, anarchy is barely kept in check. Luckily, the Sword of Toleado, a "short fat guy in a suit with a Spanish sword," pops up when danger menaces the innocent inhabitants of the Cordon, Sulter's no-man's land filled with miscellaneous downtrodden types. Who is this man in a mask? As it turns out, he isn't a man at all. Originally the alter-ego of Ray Chadam, a benign capitalist whose Chadam International corporation provides honest pay for honest work, the Sword of Toleado is now his daughter, Billi. A flesh-and-blood hero with a wholly believable body and face, Billi took over when her dad was murdered; she's big, strong and committed to carrying on her father's work. She's also on the run, having been accused of his murder by her corrupt uncle. With a plot that's equal parts murder mystery, superhero tale and corporate spy game, the action can be hard to follow, especially since the long-faced heroes and villains all look more or less alike. Is that Billi's uncle tossing a homeless woman off a skyscraper? Readers will have to flip pages to know for sure. The effort pays off, however, as the story winds its way from the Cordon to Chadam International's corporate boardroom. Sale's gray-scale future is beautifully bleak, with dreamy visions of the decay to come. Even the graffiti has a gauzy charm and, in the end, the pleasures of seeing the future saved by a spiritual heir of Zorro are too good to miss.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A tale of vigilantism, corporate corruption, and quiet heroism. In a not-too-distant future, in a decaying city where the poor and desperate are shuffled off to an area called the Cordon, Billi Chadam, adopted daughter of a multibillionaire industrialist, has been framed for her father's murder. As she tries to investigate his death, she lives and works in the Cordon and takes on the role of the dead man's alter ego, a masked, blade-wielding vigilante. Billi feels compelled to carry on her father's work, fighting for justice against a system that seems designed only to protect those who can afford to pay for it. She is not particularly adept at the physical aspect of her endeavors, and her struggle to reach her goal makes her real and likable. Subplots include a serial killer, an honest cop in a corrupt system, and a star-crossed romance. Byam weaves all of the elements together in a huge finale-and makes it work. A bittersweet epilogue reminds readers that justice doesn't require happiness. Sale's black, white, and gray artwork brings this dystopia to life with exceptional detail and texture; the decay and despair his images evoke is almost palpable.
Jody Sharp, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jody Sharp, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ahead of its time--,
By
This review is from: Billi 99 (Paperback)
It takes a village to raise a kid: chortle all you like at the cliche, but there's a reason it's so dam' prevalent. It's true.
It also takes a village to raise a superhero, and keep them in tights. For a while, it's been popular to look at the symbiotic relationship between superheroes and supervillains, and how the one needs and feeds on the other, and what does this say about us? —Far better, far more rewarding, far more humane to look at the symbiotic relationship between the superhero and the people they fight for, live with, protect, save. And if the superhero discovers a different source of power than tights, and masks, and fists? Well. That would be telling. Billi was written in the mad old bad old days of the first Bush recession, and it will remind you that we've all been justifiably angry and full of despair and longing for hope before. Like a lot of us, I got seduced by the fool's gold of a very different 1999, and I set Billi aside; that Sarah was just a little ahead of her time doesn't make this any less of a powerful tonic for the here and now.
1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed,
This review is from: Billi 99 (Paperback)
I read the entire volume out of the vain hope that it would grow more interesting and compelling. Unfortunately, it did not. The art was the best part for me and I didn't even really care for it. It would be hard to choose which I disliked the most: the plot, the characters, or the dialogue. Contrived, forced, and uninspiring all come to mind as words that could be used described all three.
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