Subject: Review of DJINN RUMMY by Tom Holt

From: [email-masked] (Alayne McGregor)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 02:08:03 GMT

DJINN RUMMY
                              by Tom Holt
                      reviewed by Alayne McGregor

     Pity a poor Force Twelve genie. Wasn't it bad enough that he got
stuck in an aspirin bottle for fourteen years -- and then had to get let
out by a woman bent on suicide? Was it fair that she had an execrable
taste in slipcovers and *liked* beige, instead of proper Arabian Nights-
style opulence? And how on earth did she manage to get him humiliated,
threatened with immediate loss of divine status, and involved in a
catastrophic fight with a fellow Force Twelve genie?

     Almost makes a genie want to have one too many milk sours at
Saheed's, if he didn't have another million or so wishes to fulfill.

     This is the story of Kiss (otherwise known as Kawaguchiya Inte-
grated Circuits III in honor of his commercial sponsor), a much-put-upon
super-powerful genie, and Jane, who wanted to end it all over a lost
love, but perked up immediately when she realized that Kiss' owners man-
ual confirmed she could extend three wishes almost indefinitely. If Kiss
then only had to deal with interior decoration and slipcovers, things
might have been fairly quiet. Unfortunately, another Force Twelve genie
called Philly Nine was just looking for a sponsor to make trouble, and
life got rapidly interesting for everyone (as well as rather cluttered
with flowers).

     Holt is back in top form with this hilarious fantasy. It's a beau-
tifully orchestrated grab-bag of fantasy tropes and satiric comments
that shouldn't work, but end up flying in a perfect pattern. Every time
Holt adds another character, you're convinced he's going to drop every-
thing, but the new bit finds just the right place.

     While Holt does make a few digs at modern mores, his humour is less
based on current events than Terry Pratchett's, and comes more out of
the situation itself. This has meant some of his past books have been
weaker because the initial situation couldn't really support 200+ pages,
but that's not a problem with Djinn Rummy. Holt embroiders fancy upon
fancy on the themes of djinns and carpets and treasure -- and it's all
believable (in its own cockeyed way) and original.

     And any book that made everyone on the bus stare at me while I was
reading about Philly IX and the plague of locusts (I just couldn't stop
laughing), has passed my highest tests for humour. Recommended for a
wonderful couple of escapist hours.

%T      Djinn Rummy
%A      Tom Holt
%C      London
%D      1995
%I      Orbit
%O      hardcover, GBP 15.99
%G      ISBN 1-85723-329-8
%P      277pp
--
Alayne McGregor                         [email-masked]
[email-masked]
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