Pulled this from my June list. This is the third Richard Monaco book I've read this year. A novel set in what I've figured out to be the year 1915. Journey to the Flame [Bantam Spectra, 1985, 260 pages] was a strange novel. I like the premise, but the reading itself made me uneasy at the least... I can't really recommend reading this book.
The adventure rides on the idea that H. Rider Haggard's novel She depicts a real place. An occult order known as Thule seeks out and kidnaps the author- and enlists, or rather threatens him into finding Kor, the lost African city from his book. They are convinced that Kor exists while Haggard denies it. I thought it was an interesting idea in itself- the artist becoming trapped within his own creation. But the novel didn't focus in on this idea as I expected it to.
The main antagonists are the members of Thule, several Europeans including German officials who are superiors and mentors to Hitler. Hitler himself has almost a cameo appearance early in the novel(he is in his twenties). The Antagonists weren't characterized very well; none of them were extremely memorable and are easy to get confused.
Haggard's nephew Woody is another central character. He works on planes, and has built a two engine biplane, which he flies to Africa in pursuit of Haggard's captors. A lot of the great action sequences have to do with this aircraft: takeoff, landing, and flight itself are all dangerous business. There is an armed gunfight between the plane and a German blimp; natives chase down the plane as it takes off; pilot loses control of the plane. These are some of my favorite moments here.
The parties land, and are forced to slug through a deep dark swamp. A dense layer of smoke blocks out the sky and begins to descend into the swamp. As they get closer to the lost city of Kor, the entire group starts fading in and out of some dream world, or alternate timeline or dimension. There is an ancient battle concurrently happening in the temple where the events as the protagonists. The characters are all somehow phased into alternate personas from the past, and can see both. So each character now has a second name, as their 'ethereal counterpart' if you will. It got so confusing as the narrative jumped around between all of these different characters, viewpoints from both the past and present. It was hard to tell what was actually going on during some of those chapters! Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed, from She, makes her own appearance, to face off a demonic lord known as Relti, who seeks to consume all (in the ancient past). The ancient struggle has to do with the descendants of the Atlanteans making war with Lemurians. Pretty far flung, definitely went out of bounds in some places.
The Flame itself is found within the temple of Kor. This flame provides the only light through the dark smoke that the characters are fighting through. This is where the climax of the novel takes place; most all of the characters end up in the chamber of the Flame. Here is what I love about Richard Monaco- he can find a way to get many points of view to converge at the same time and place, and builds up to this very well.
Finally, I have to say, this book is pretty racist, overrun with extreme stereotypes. The Germans are all portrayed as scheming, world domination types. From their mouths, racial slurs are said in dialogue on many occasions. Getting into the minds of these German politicians during the decades leading up to WWII is bound to be nasty stuff. There are anti sematic outcries as well. 'Historical accuracy', I guess you could say, but it doesn't result in something I actually want to read.
Don't read it. Certainly did not live up to my expectations and was not even all that readable. Sorry, Mr. Monaco, but thumbs down on this one!
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