Highlander(TM): The Measure of a Man

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read For Highlander Fans
Review: Holder succeeds in capturing the spirit of the Highlander television series in this novel, and does so in an enjoyable fashion. She has created a memorable villain, and the glimpses inside the minds of the characters are very well done, as is the "flashback" portion of the novel. The plots within plots within plots are gratifyingly Machiavellian. I did disagree, however, with some of the historical details provided, and the ending struck me as anticlimactic - it was disappointing to see the antagonist fall prey to the hero so easily

Rating:
Summary: The Measure of....Measure of A Man--SPOLIERS
Review: Let's face it; immortality is total nonsense. In thousands of years of human history there has not been one instance of a psedu-historical figure who has outlived a generation or two; sure some long-lived ones but none could be charecterized as immortal. If anything such as immortals exist they'd be at the top of the food chain and ,unless equipped with a mentality and emotional framework completely different then an average human being (which is a possability), be in a position of power over the masses. Immortality is certainly a trait that would inspire wonder and loyalty under the right circumstances. Imagine such hero icons such as Andrew Jackson, Winston Churchill, or Clara Burton blessed with eternal life; men & women already destined for greatness as mere mortals, would have been embraced by the general public rather then villified. As a historian, this minor little nag has always dampened my enthusiasim for fictions and fantasies revolving around immortality such as Highlander; despite feeble throwaway justifications in the form of "this is the price we pay for our gift"; gimme a break! For once I'd like to see a story in which immorality is graced upon some great importent historical figure; a man or woman who rises to power and literally shepeards an entire nation of people over hundreds of years, rising and falling from power; expierencing love and alienation in cycles, what a story that would be! Alas fiction often bestows the gift upon the common man and Highlander is no exception with only one instance of a known historical graced with eternal life on the televison series (Lord Byron, whom we are lead to believe would choose to live life today as a Euro-trash rock star?!) and now one more in the novel from Nancy Holder Measure of a Man, featuring the infamous maven of manevolence Niccolo Machiavelli.

As in the series the novel unfolds across two time periods; Venice in the mid 17th century and various spots across the globe in the present day, Holden bringing to life vividly every locale and time period. The early midsection of the novel set in Venice is littered with the appropriate court intrigue that make the city-state, "a tight-lipped mussel of despotism", such a facinating time and place, one almost wishes the novel had been devoted entirely to the politics and pagentry of the Ventian courts and courtyards. The central premise of Machiavelli housing an army of Immortals, or Beauties as he terms them, ignorant to the rules of the Game is remenicesnt of the fifth season's "Little Tin God" however Machiavelli's plans for world domination is more impressive then the simple revenge plot driving Gaverial Larca and the historical sweep of the novel adds to the grandeaur of the plot. The modern day portions are just as effective, with Holden applying an exotic touch to Japanese locales and both Machiavelli's island fortress and his modern day headquarters.

I have yet to read a bad charecterization of Duncan McCloud and Holden fares well with her Duncan MacLeod, making it a point to show how he evolves over time most importently in his relations with women; a little naive and trusting in the Ventian segment and less so, showing more restriant and judgement in the modern day, however admitedly still suffering from an eternal "knight in shining armour" syndrome. His romances with both Maria Angelina in Machiavelli's island palace and Samantha in the present day do thier bit to please the "Eyes for You" pillow & sleepshirt buying segment of the Highlander fandom, neither reaching anywhere near the romantic milestones of Tessa or Amanda. Duncan's wrestling with the notion of honor is a common theme in the series and in other novels and his promise to Machiavelli not to kill him generates genunie suspenses as the novel reaches its finale. As far as villians go Machiavelli should rate amoung one of Duncan's most fearesome, however there is something lacking in him, falling short of the adejetive which bears fruit from the name. The Ventian segments are more successful in convaying Machiavelli's menace; his puppet-handling of his various Beauties, his attempted manipulations of the Ventian court to plunge them into war, and his agonizing ordeal at the hands of Mustafa Ali promised a plan of unrelenting vengeance which would surely test even the Highlander. Once the plot shifts into the present-day there is decidely less tension as the subplot involving the CD is vauge, receiving little real attention and Machiavelli's villany is felt only from a distance until the final chapters. The second half of the novel subdues the impact of the character, save for one classic speech worthy of the expectations of such a historical icon, as a weary Duncan is brought before him:

"I was made for this time, when so many things can be done, and so easily....I was outfoxing goverments before most of the nations on the globe were founded. My name is in the dicationary, friend Duncan, and it means manipulation and cunning."

The supporting cast is livened up by the inclusion of Joe Dawson who is deservedly given more attention after his all-to-brief cameo apperance in Scimitar (an earlier novel by Ashley McConnell set a few years previous). Again Holden deftly shows MacLeod's growth in his ocassional mistrust of Dawson, despite his Joe's obvious fan-boyish devotion to him. Machiavelli's number one Beauty Ruffio is exactly what you would expect to find in a Bondian henchmen, which is appropiate since Machiavelli himself fits the typical Bondian villian mold. In a much appreciated bit of continuity, the events of Scimitar still shadow Duncan, fleshing out Xaiver St.Cloud without even showing him as well as a waking-dream apperance by Hamza el Kahir, and passing reference to Connor. A minor quibble is a throwaway reference to Richie which I guess is supposed to add tension and maybe poigentcy in the apperance that he has been killed, but instead sticks out like a forced afterthought and seems like useless three-sentance padding.

Overall the novel is worthy read, especially for its historical segment in Venice and sizzling good finale in Tokyo.

Rating:
Summary: You know that sinking feeling when...
Review: there is a sex scene within the first minute of a film, or 5 pages of a book? Well, prepare yourself for that feeling. This book starts off with a nameless enemy fantasizing about battling Macleod, after our Hero has an intimate session within a beauty on a French beach. After that we have a long flashback to a sea battle near Venice, as Macleod defends a Turkish general and eventually finds himself confronting the evil and manipulative Immortal Machiavelli. I rather enjoyed the flashback section of the book, it was as twisty as you can imagine an encounter with Machiavelli would be, but it all felt a bit rushed. The author can only spare a few sentences to explain how Macleod came to give his friendship and loyalty to General Ali. Major emotional conflicts are resolved in the space of a paragraph.

The second half of the book is set in the present, and here the book really descends into mediocrity. The author introduces a number of characters and locations, including one who is meant to be our Heroine. None of them are really fleshed out, and I couldn't bring myself to care. Even Duncan Macleod started to seem rather 2-dimensional. "Hmm, this woman is probably lying to me, and might have been sent here to betray and kill me. On the other hand, she's sexy. Let's jump into bed!" The scene where Macleod is "surprised" to find out that Dawson cares whether he lives or dies left me in some shock. Who is this idiot posing as the Highlander?

The quality that makes the Highlander TV series really stand out is it's exploration of interesting ethical questions. The questions brought up in this book have already been better explored in the series. "What would you do for a friend?" "Is it ever right to break your word?" "What if an Immortal convinced new Immortals that He had brought them back from the dead?" Go watch the series for some answers.

I have enjoyed some of the other books in this series, such as White Silence. You might try that, or some of the excellent fan fiction on the net (...) I finished "Measure of a Man" with a feeling of deep disappointment. This book just isn't worth the price to buy it, or the time to read it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best spin-offs
Review: This is one of the best of the spin-off novels that have been written based on the series. It adds depth and more info to the total Duncan MacLeod Highlander legend.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best spin-offs
Review: This is one of the best of the spin-off novels that have been written based on the series. It adds depth and more info to the total Duncan MacLeod Highlander legend.