Subject: Julian May: Blood Trillium (spoilers)

From: [email-masked] (Dani Zweig)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 05:53:41 GMT

"Blood Trillium" is Julian May's sequel to "Black Trillium", which she
coauthored with Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  It's almost as bad.

"Black Trillium" was a dishonest collaboration.  Instead of combining
their proven skills in hopes of producing something excellent, the three
authors produced three virtually independent novellas, plotted so as to
require the absolute minimum of coordination and cooperation.  Now the
authors are producing their independent sequels.  May's is first.

It's hard to believe that the author of the Pleistocene Saga could 
produce so incompetent a work as "Blood Trillium".  The setup is that
most tired of fantasy cliches:  The villain who died at the end of the
previous book turns out not to be dead and it's all to do over again.
The characters run the gamut from the one-dimensional to the two-
dimensional.  Each of the three sisters who are the major characters
may be characterized (and is) by one virtue and one character flaw,
and each triumphs by recognizing and overcoming the flaw, once it is
properly pointed out.

The plot is unconvincing.  Each action seems to arise from the author's
wish for the plot to go in a certain direction, rather than from the
reasonable behavior of the characters in their given situations.  Each
triumph or failure of magic seems to depend on the requirements of the
plot, rather than on any recognizable underlying logic.

Four hundred pages of a plot that was old the fiftieth time it was used:
The magician who wishes (Lord knows why) to rule the world; his successful
theft of the first magical artifact; his eventual success in attaining
the second magical artifact; the heroines' realization in the nick of time
that in bad fantasies purity of heart matters far more that firepower; and
finally the victory of the forces of Good and the setup for the next sequel.

I've read worse fantasies.  But I don't know why.

-----
Dani Zweig
[email-masked]

   If you're going to write, don't pretend to write down.  It's going to be the
   best you can do, and it's the fact that it's the best you can do that kills
   you! -- Dorothy Parker