Book Review
Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook
All rights reserved


The Adept Book Two:  The Lodge Of The Lynx by Katherine Kurtz &
Deborah Turner Harris
Ace Books, Copyright 1992, 1st Printing June 1992
ISBN 0-441-00344-3


Most people dread sequels.  They usually complain about how drawn
out the story has become and the number of contradictions in the
main character(s) that are created with a second storyline.  I,
however, am drawn to sequels.  Especially sequels to books that I
like.  I savor the possibility of seeing a side of the main
character(s) that I had not envisioned before, the chance that
the author has to redefine what the character really means.  When
I picked up this novel, I felt that same exhilaration.  Boy, was
I disappointed.

While Miss Kurtz and Miss Harris have once again turned out a
fine story, their perception of the characters of Sir Adam
Sinclair, Mr. Peregrine Lovat and Chief Detective Noel McLeod
have become even more clouded to me.  While their perception of
Sir Adam Sinclair has basically remained unchanged (other than
the fact that we get to see him finally fall in love), the
characters of Lovat and McLeod are so estranged from the original
novel that one gets lost trying to keep up with the changes. 
It's not that I am against changes in the characters, after all
everyone goes through changes in their lives.  But not at the
speed that the lives of these two characters change.

Another big disappointment to this novel was an EXTREMELY
ridiculous ending.  I am quite sure that the Freemasons in
Scotland have a good foothold in the society there, but not to
the level that this book suggests.  For those that prefer a touch
of reality to SF/F novels, the ending to this will leave them
real damn cold.

There are good points to the novel though.  At one point, there
is a suggestion as to what might truly cause personality
disorders, with an emphasis on past lives.  While the theory is
never truly expanding on, it sounds quite plausible.  Another
point is the ability to watch Mr. Lovat slowly lose his cloak of
insecurity, while his confidence in his abilities starts to grow. 
There are very novels that deal with such inner workings in a
character.

While I recommend this book, it is with extreme caution to the
reader.  Abandon your sense of what is real, for detachment is
very needed to finish this novel without truly hating it.  Don't
forget to abandon everything you think you know about
Freemasonry, because this book plays up it's "secret society" to
levels that are almost too insane to believe.

Grade:  C-

