Title: The Future Falls
Author: Tanya Huff
First published November 3, 2014
336 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780756407537 (ISBN10: 0756407532)
Rating: 3.99
Overview
When Lee and Aunt Nettie borrowed an antique chocolate mold for their bakery’s promotion, they never expected it to lead to a burglary and a murder. The appearance of Lee’s former husband’s son, an 18-year-old determined to make trouble, only adds to the chaos.
Lee must keep him out of trouble while family secrets continue to surface. As danger looms, Lee finds herself running for her life in JoAnna Carl’s thrilling mystery, The Chocolate Bear Burglary.
About the Author
I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but I haven’t lived there since I was four. Nevertheless, I still consider myself a Maritimer, perhaps because of being born near the ocean or because nobody wants to admit they’re from Ontario.
My formative years were in Kingston, Ontario during the late sixties and early to mid-seventies. For those who experienced it, we need not say more.
For those who didn’t, consider yourself fortunate to have missed out on platform shoes.
I spent three years in the Canadian Naval Reserve as a cook. I joined when they first started allowing women, as I thought it would be the first job to send women to sea.
Sadly, it happened a year after I left, and I didn’t get any tattoos.
I have a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. However, the year I graduated, the CBC laid off 750 employees in Toronto alone, and I was competing for jobs with people who had up to five years of experience.
To add insult to injury, my cat threw up on my degree.
I worked for eight years at Bakka, North America’s oldest surviving science fiction book store (Change of Hobbit in California was slightly older but didn’t survive the recession in ’91). During that time, while working full-time, I managed to write seven books and nine short stories (the first seven, except for the original draft of CHILD).
In 1992, after living in downtown Toronto for thirteen years, my partner and I moved to a rented house in the middle of nowhere with two large cats, one small psychotic cat, and unintentionally acquired a Chihuahua. I know it sounds improbable, but please don’t ask how it happened.
Since then, we’ve purchased the house, buried two of the original cats, replaced them with three more felines, and still have the Chihuahua.
I love living in the country, writing full-time, reading anything by Charles de Lint, and watching Xena and Hercules. I dislike telephones, electric blankets, and bathroom renovations.
I tend to expect the worst, which means I’m usually pleasantly surprised when things turn out better than expected. I now live with my wife.
Editoral Review
Tanya Huffs The Future Falls is the third and final installment in her Gale Women series. Released in 2014, the book is a work of fantasy that follows the adventures of sisters Charlotte, Claire, and Bannon Gale, who are blessed with unique supernatural abilities that allow them to manipulate the weather.
With this latest book, Huff delivers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, blending humor, drama, and action into a compelling narrative that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. Huff is a Canadian author who has written over 30 novels in various genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
She has won several awards for her work, including the Aurora Award, the Sunburst Award, and the Canadian SF/Fantasy award. Huff is known for her vibrant characters, intricate world-building, and witty dialogue, and The Future Falls is no exception.
The book takes place in a world where magic and technology coexist, and the Gale sisters are part of a select group of weather wardens tasked with keeping the elements in check. When a high-ranking government official is kidnapped by a group of rebels seeking to overthrow the ruling council, the Gales are called upon to use their powers to save the day.
Along the way, they must confront old enemies, new allies, and unexpected twists of fate. Despite its fantasy trappings, The Future Falls deals with a number of real-world issues, including political corruption, social inequality, and the price of power.
Huff is skilled at weaving these themes into the story without overwhelming the reader with heavy-handed moralizing or polemicizing. Instead, she lets the characters and their actions speak for themselves, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions about the nature of justice and responsibility.
One of the strongest aspects of The Future Falls is its character development. Huff has created a rich cast of protagonists and antagonists, each with their own unique personalities, motivations, and flaws.
Charlotte, Claire, and Bannon are particularly well-drawn, with distinct voices and perspectives that make their interactions feel realistic and engaging. The book also features several strong supporting characters, including a shape-shifting dragon and a rebellious city official, who help to flesh out the world and add depth to the plot.
The pacing of the book is generally strong, with plenty of action, intrigue, and humor to keep the reader engaged. However, there are a few parts that feel slow or repetitive, particularly in the middle section.
Some readers may also find the world-building and magical systems overly complex or confusing, especially if they are not familiar with the previous books in the series. Overall, The Future Falls is a well-written and enjoyable work of fantasy that will appeal to fans of the genre.
It offers a compelling mix of magic, politics, and drama, along with memorable characters and a satisfying conclusion. Although it has a few flaws, it is a strong addition to Tanya Huffs body of work, and a worthy finale to the Gale Women trilogy.
Score: 8 out of 10
