Customer Reviews

Falcon at the Portal

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

When I finally got my hands on The Falcon At The Portal, I felt the familiar rise of Petersonian fever. I let the house go hang, sent the children out to play in the traffic, and immersed myself in the delights of Amelia Peabody and company. What followed was satisfying and surprising. Unlike most mysteries, the latest offerings in this series seem to be more character driven than story driven. The relationships among some of the main characters have become excruciatingly complicated, but in ways I never could have imagined after reading the preceeding book. Peters generates considerable heat between Ramses and Nefret. The passionate, loving and devoted marriage of Amelia and Emerson remains comfortingly central to the action. A crucial new character is introduced, cousin Percy is resurrected, and Abdullah is mourned on every page. The mystery is tidily wrapped up at the end of the book, but personal loose ends are left floating everywhere. If Ms. Peters insists on writing cliff-hangers, it is my fervent hope that she is eating properly, getting regular check-ups, and looking both ways before she crosses the street! I eagerly await the next installment.

In Falcon at the Portal, Elizabeth Peters goes far more deeply than ever before into the emotional lives of all of her characters. From the lovely evocative dreams that Amelia has of Abdullah, to the sheer passion that possesses Ramses, Peters lets us see and feel with her characters more surely than ever before, while not losing a jot of the usual madness that surrounds the Emersons every season - forged antiquities, doubts being cast on family members, and more than a few completely unexpected plot twists, turns and in fact revolutions! Brilliant writing, great fun, and deeper (and, yes, darker) than most of the series, this is a *terrific* book, and I await the next in happy anticipation. Peters is a splendid writer, long may she wave!

I adore the Amelia Peabody novels because they are so unlike any other mystery series. First, the bulk of the time is spent on archeological digs pursuing important scholarship in Egypt. Second, the characters are so outrageously original (Amelia is an early 20th century Wonder Woman who passionately craves her husband, Emerson is a steam boiler always about to go off on some emotional tangent or other, Ramses is a mixture of Oliver Twist and Super Boy, Nefret is Elizabeth Taylor in Dr. Florence Nightingale's role -- you get the idea). Third, the plots always involve lots of local history and interesting perspectives on manners of the period. Fourth, the whole crew is always off on some unexpected adventure or other. I often wonder how any of them ever sleep, between their day-time adventures and the clandestine night-time ones. It makes me tired just to think about them.

The characters have really grown on me. This is one of the few series I have read where the characters are probably the main attraction. The Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout have a similar attraction for me.

In this book (as in the recent ones), the action revolves around tensions among the family members. Clearly, everyone wants more psycholoical space, but the others good-heartedly want to look out for each other and impinge on that space. One would think these characters had read Freud.

Two characteristics of this book bothered me. It seems like the loose ends were greater in the family drama at the end of the book than they were at the beginning. I don't mind if Elizabeth Peters is going to do that, but she should bring out two books at the same time when she does so we are not left waiting so long for the resolution.

My other concern is that I think that Peters cheated a bit with Nefret's actions and emotions in this one. The Nefret I had built up in my mind (child goddess of the desert who captivates all and sundry who come within her reach) disappeared in this novel, and seemed to be replaced by an imposter. I think that Peters owes it to us to close this gap with one of her upcoming books.

If you have not read any of the Amelia Peabody mysteries, DO NOT START WITH THIS ONE! Most of the joy of these novels comes in the build-up of the characters from one book to the next. While you need not read them all, you certainly should work through them chronologically from the earliest publication date. Have a great time when you do, and keep your tongue firmly in your cheek!

I NEVER buy hardcover books. However, I read the reviews and as a lover of E.Peters I had to read the book for myself. I bought it intending to read it and return it for a refund....needless to say, I changed my mind and will have to keep the book. I have always rooted for Nefret and Ramses, and this book made me want them together even more. I agree that Nefret acted out of character, but I trust that these actions will be explained in the next book, which I am eagerly awaiting. I loved the addition of Sennia despite the trouble she caused. To those who called the book melodramatic: what did you expect from the Peabody-Emersons? The melodrama is what I love about this series. Still, this novel is more a tragedy (or as much a tragedy as an Amelia mystery can be), because it ends on such a low point. I thought the mention of Nefret's dreams was intriguing, and I am hoping they will be mentioned more in the next book. I also liked Amelia's Abdulla dreams; he was a wonderful character and I am glad that he hasn't entirely disappeared from the series. I can't wait for the next! I will probably have to buy that one in hardcover, too. Luckily they are worth the money!

My husband and I are avid "groupies" of Amelia Peabody & Company. The Falcon at the Portal was by far our favorite. Yes we were disappointed that Nefret was not destined for Rameses in the true Victorian sense (after all Amelia thrives on Victorian values does she not?). And yes we were disappointed when the book ended with no hint of Nefret's future...BUT this book of all the others drew us in so closely to what was taking place that we were emotionally tied to the two and felt true loss for Ramses...now that's what a good story should do! At the conclusion, although we were left hanging, we snapped out of it and ran to the computer to see if a sequel was available. What a relief it was to see that, yes indeed, Ms. Peters had been true to her readers and provided us with yet an another opportunity to follow along with her and her family as they mature through yet another episode of life. This has made her characters much more real and endearing to us. Bravo for Ms. Peters! We are looking forward to walking through the rest of lives with Amelia, Emerson and the rest of Amelia Peabody and Company!

Seriously, I adore Ramses. This is a decent addition to the series, but not the best. If you can't stand cliffhanger endings, wait until the next one comes out before reading "The Falcon at the Portal." It might as well be called "What Nefret Did." Up to now it's been clear that she is impetuous, but never stupid. I don't know what to think about her anymore. Amelia was less than her usual terrifyingly astute self. I did like seeing David happy with Lia, but-- come on Ms. Peters, did Ramses deserve what he got? Sennia's a fabulous addition, and I can't wait to see what she becomes.

I borrowed this from the library, finished it at 2 A.M., and couldn't sleep the whole night. Really, the ending can be fatal to avid readers of this series. Be warned.

It is the mark of a tremendous author that so many people feel that the Emersons are actually a part of their extended family. I feel as if I have watched Ramses and Nefret grow up and that Amelia and Radcliff are members of my family. I still mourn the loss of the cat, Bastet, every time I read another of the Emerson adventures. This is one outstanding series.

Even though this is a real page-turner, the lack of an ending leaves much to be desired. New readers of this series will recognize it as a very good read; it is those of us who have allowed the Emersons into our hearts that are upset by the current events.

This book was not as humorous as Peters' past books, and Nefret's personality certainly wasn't the same as the Nefret of past books. I am disappointed in Nefret's actions - I thought she was better than some stereotypical Victorian female.

I also was not really thrilled with the warning Amelia received in her dream at the end of the book.

Honestly, can't we just get Ramses and Nefret together and let them carry on the fine Emerson tradition of murder and mayhem combined with archeological digs and humor? Ye Gads!

I am willing to bet that the next book in this series (I certainly hope it will come out very soon) will be a big-seller. There are too many of us who want to know what happens next.

My recommendation is to wait until the next book comes out, then buy this one and read both of them then. I certainly wish I had waited.

I read the first Amelia book when I was about 12 and have grown up with Ramses and the rest. I have waited patiently for each installment, veiwing it as a reward for surviving each school year. But this next installment cannot come too soon! This book has a very painful twist, but it just makes the book better. I bought this book in hardcover the first day it came out, and was reading it in the laundrymat when I came to the Moment (you know what I'm talking about), I lept up from my chair and started squealing hysterically. The people around me were rather alarmed, but that's just an example of how Elizabeth's Peters incredible writing affects devoted readers. This book was worthy of Amelia Peabody, and it filled in some vital parts of the character's personalities. But PLEASE, Ms.Peters, if there is anyway He Shall Thunder in the Sky could come out early...well, it would make a great graduation present, from me to me.

So far, I have loved each and every Amelia Peabody Mystery. I am especially enjoying the growth of Ramses as a character in the forefront of the series. I would recommend these to anyone. If you love mysteries and have even a passing interest in exotic locales, these books are definitely for you.

Like most of the other reviewers, I was entranced by the story in this book, happy for David and Lia, frustrated for Ramses and Nefret...but it held together very well. Ms. Peters has developed these characters a great deal since my first reading years and years ago, and has incorporated the political realities in a very real way.

As I said in my review of "The Ape..." I would love to give 4.75 stars but Amazon doesn't have the facilities for that.

Read it, enjoy it, and by all means, have fun with it!