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Another CHARMED novel, and another chance to get out the old checklist to make ensure Pocket Books' usual requirements are all present and correct. The main one is for one of the Charmed Ones to make a new acquaintance who turns out to be evil, and it's even better if they're boyfriend potential. Diana G. Gallagher gets top marks on this front by having not one, not two, but three strangers who meet Piper, Phoebe and Paige. Obviously only Paige can fall for the potential new boyfriend scam these days, but even so, you'd think they'd have learned to be wary of strangers. Clearly this isn't the case as Paige's volunteer work, P3's latest band and Phoebe's latest college course all provide their new enemies with an opportunity to get close to the sisters. And not just a single opportunity, either. Naturally it takes some time for the sisters to equate meeting new people to the sudden diminution of their powers, but they get there in the end. But exactly what are they up against, and how can they fight it when Piper's gone all moody, Paige is constantly tired and Phoebe's short-term memory has gone? And, with Cole off fishing, there's also a Gremlin infestation to deal with back at the Manor. DARK VENGEANCE was a bit of a missed opportunity as far as I was concerned. Reducing the number of regulars from five to four was a good move as it enabled the remaining ones to get a bigger slice of the action. However, the subplot with Gilbert the Gremlin seemed pointless - at least on TV we would have got to see Paige in the shower... Apart from the Gremlin nonsense, DARK VENGEANCE opens reasonably well, but once the identity of the Dor'chacht is revealed, it becomes a little obvious. We know who the threat's coming from, we know how they're doing it, and we know there'll be some sort of showdown. It's good to see Piper getting a lot to do, and the fact that the girls' powers are reduced means that the usual "Power of Three" cop-out is ruled out. The idea of a feud that's lasted for centuries is also a good one, but a few too many things about it seemed a bit too plot convenient for my liking. A slight improvement over the last couple of releases, but I'd like to see Pocket Books letting the authors loose on novels that are longer and deeper than the ones we're getting. BACK TO THE TOP |
DARK VENGEANCE |
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