Earthquake Weather

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: "Anubis Gates" is on of my favourite books, and I love the way Powers can weave a myriad of obscure (and not so obscure references) to create bizarre stories that somehow ring true. This, unfortunately, is not one of his better ones. Yes, it's quite possible to get all the references in this book and still not enjoy it; it feels leaden, and there's no real fun in it, and sheer bloodymindness is the only thing making me finish it.

Rating:
Summary: Eh....
Review: Another case of sequelitis, apparently. "Last Call" was superb, "Expiration Date" was also very good, but this latest effort seems to be something written up to please the publishers more than because Powers really felt that it need to be written. A professional, workmanlike job, but not inspired. I'm going to pass on additional entries to this series, although I will read absolutely anything else Powers has to offer.

Rating:
Summary: Euripides, The Grail, The Golden Bough, etc.,
Review: Dionysus, the mask that death wears in Last Call, returns, this time in full Euripidean Splendor, right out of The Bacchae, and embellished with the symbollism of The Golden Bough. Powers' books, like the works of P.K. Dick, trancends the Sci/Fi fantasy genre, and his sublime grasp of the sympathetic magic of words is almost Borroughsian. Like so many other great 20th century american writers the author is concerned with a modern day approach to the grail motif, on top of that he takes a fresh look at Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities (his best and strangest book). But Power's greatest strength, however, is his ability to divine an obscure, kabbalistic history out of the mundane (in Last Call it was how he revealed Las Vegas and the Flamingo hotel). Here he retells the California Wine Country and explains the Winchester Mystery House. Indeed, the book is like that Escheresque house, with crazy staircases, doors that lead nowhere, etc., Even the much debated by siesmologist general concept of Earthquake Weather, gives further food for thought. Powers' insight has not diminshed since the pinnacle of Last Call, it has simply become more esoteric. If you're the kind of person who took Eliot's advice in his notes for The Wasteland and went back and read From Ritual to Romance and the Golden Bough, then, this is your kind of book. Of course it is the third work in a trilogy and those earlier works must be read first for a thorough comprehension.

Rating:
Summary: Does Tim Powers have an editor?
Review: Earthquake weather can best be described as a "sequel" to the author's previous Last Call and Expiration Date; particularly in the sense that one should not even bother to try and read it without having finished the other two. Unfortunately, rather than returning to the rich vein of modern mysticism that worked so well in Last Call, Powers buries an interesting premise under page after page of mind-bending self-reference. (Witness the "houdini-hands" phenomenon, a barely explained plot point from Expiration Date that repeatedly inserts itself into the story.) I began the trilogy with no expectation or preconception, was fascinated by the first volume, confused by the second, and frankly annoyed by this final installment. To those readers new to Powers - finish Last Call and walk away. You'll be glad you did.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: Earthquake Weather is the final book in Powers Fisher King trilogy, which begins with Last Call and continues in Expiration Date. Earthquake Weather is a very satisfying and totally gripping conclusion to the story, with a wide scope, ranging with Powers' usual eclecticism, from ghosts to winemaking to electroshock therapy. His fully believable characters include a 14-year old boy destined to be the next Fisher King and a woman with multiple personalities. He intertwines a complex plot, supernatural events, and historical background in a thoroughly satisfying structure, keeping the reader in suspense and caring about the characters throughout the novel.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: Earthquake Weather is the final book in Powers Fisher King trilogy, which begins with Last Call and continues in Expiration Date. Earthquake Weather is a very satisfying and totally gripping conclusion to the story, with a wide scope, ranging with Powers' usual eclecticism, from ghosts to winemaking to electroshock therapy. His fully believable characters include a 14-year old boy destined to be the next Fisher King and a woman with multiple personalities. He intertwines a complex plot, supernatural events, and historical background in a thoroughly satisfying structure, keeping the reader in suspense and caring about the characters throughout the novel.

Rating:
Summary: "Earthquake Weather" No Great Shakes
Review: I am a huge Tim Powers fan. I own multiple copies of all his books and have met him at book signings every chance I get. However, being a fan does not blind me to his deficiencies as a plotter (note I did not say writer - as a writer, he is unparalleled). A common problem with Powers is his inability to reign himself. He has a wonderfully wicked mind that is constantly working, so he comes up with an enormous number of ideas. But he doesn't know when to stop. It is a truism of a Powers book that the first third will be flawless, the second third will lose focus and the final third will unravel like a sweater on a nail. Imagine my pleasure and shock, then, when I first read "Last Call" - it was flawless, a stunning and beautiful piece of writing. It's followup, "Expiration Date", was chock full of great ideas that didn't pan out. What the heck happened? It wasn't until I read "Earthquake Weather" that it all made sense - this was a trilogy. Firts third, flawless, second third unfocused, final third a total mess. Perhaps I'm being harsh because I am such a big fan. I expect so much more from a Powers book. Granted, a mediocre Powers book is better than 90% of the books out there - perhaps that is why other people are raving about this one. But let's be straight about this one - Powers tried way too hard on this one. The characters are unrealized, the plot is slim in places and non-existent in others. You WILL NOT get it if you have not read the other two, and if you have read the other two, you'll wonder why you stayed with it this long. Do yourself a favor. Read "Last Call", read "On Stranger Tides", read "The Stress of Her Regard". "Earthquake Weather" is only for the most rabid of fans.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and overlong
Review: I expect great things when I pick up Powers. I've read most of his novels, including hard to find ones like The Drawing of the Dark and Dinner at Deviant's Palace. I expect to learn about some area of mythology while being swept up in the new world he synthesizes from the material. I consider Last Call and The Anubis Gates to be two of the best fantasy books of the last 15-20 years. But it took me three months to force my way through Earthquake Weather. All the parts were there, but it couldn't hold my attention for more than a few pages at a time. Maybe I'm tired of the sameness of Powers's characters and plots, or maybe there was a decent 450-500 page book buried here. Maybe it's because I live in the Bay Area and the sense of place didn't ring true. [e.g. I don't know anyone here that refers to freeways with the definite article. That's an LA thing...] I don't know. I hope there's more enthusiasm in his next effort.

Rating:
Summary: Complex, engaging and breathtaking
Review: I have read Expiration Date but not Last Call (yet). Earthquake Weather is simply the best book I have read for a long time. Many of the other reviews dwell on the complex plot but why should reading always be easy. A huge cast of characters interacting in a universe only a breath away from ours drive a narrative which makes the book difficult to put down. Tim Powers proves once again he is one the most original authors in the genre.

Rating:
Summary: good - but I expected more....
Review: I loved his previous two books -- Last Call and Expiration Date -- but found Earthquake Weather, where the ghost gobbling and Fisher King storylines have been merged, heavy going at times. Set in the American West, this book still manages some classic Powers moments and should still be read if you're a fan.

Ensure you read Last Call and Expiration Date first - both are highly recommended. If you don't really enjoy them, you'll probably want to give this one a skip.