Sidhe Devil

Doc Sidhe #2

by Aaron Allston

THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES
OF DOC SIDHE

When fight arranger Zeb Poole meets his friends Harris and Gaby for the first time in several months, he decides there is something different about them — and he's right. Their adventures on the fair world, a place that is half magic and Celtic myth, half weird science and gangster-era danger, had changed them forever. They take him there to prove their story. And that's when his own adventures start.

For in the fair world metropolis of Neckerdam, a mad genius is sending fiery destruction against the city's skyscrapers, demanding fortunes to end the terror... and plotting an untimely demise for the city's greatest protector, Harris' and Gaby's friend, Doc Sidhe.

And across the sea, in a land that would be Germany in the world Zeb knows, a dictator has set in motion a campaign of racial purity that is chillingly familiar to Zeb and Doc's grim world allies.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Epic, Contemporary, Pulp

500 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

Aaron Dale Allston was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game setting Mystara. His later works as a novelist include those of the X-Wing series: Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, Solo Command, Starfighters of Adumar, and Mercy Kill. He wrote two entries in the New Jedi Order series: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream and Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand. Allston wrote three of the nine Legacy of the Force novels: Betrayal, Exile, and Fury, and three of the nine Fate of the Jedi novels: Outcast, Backlash, and Conviction.

Reviews

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I wish Allston had written more in this series! I liked Zeb as the protagonist even more than Harris in Doc Sidhe, I think because his experiences as a black man in this 1930s analogue fantasy world was more compelling than Harris's sad sack romantic problems.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic sequel to "Doc Sidhe". Allston writes an excellent modern Pulp style story. The action and plot are well done and the characters are intriguing. Highly recommended

[Tom Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second novel in the Doc Sidhe (Sidhe is pronounced She) series, Harris and Gaby are in California for their wedding. Afterwards, they run into a criminal gang from the Fair world looking for Doc. Zeb Watson, Harris’ martial arts/kick boxing trainer is his best man, and he get’s tangled up with the weird looking gangsters. Zeb hears their story about the Fair world and doesn’t believe them, so they take him with them when they go back. They need to make sure Doc is okay.

The Fair world is running decades behind the Grim world in time, and this new plot seems to involve their Nazi counterparts, the Reinis, trying to take over their European nations with the white super race. There is also an Olympics type organization, and the Reinis are trying to show the world that they are the best. Zeb is entered, and he’s black, and plans on taking the gold if the white sun god doesn’t kill him first.

This was another fast, action-packed novel of an alternate world, with an alternate Doc Savage and aides fighting evil around the world in the person of Doc Sidhe and his aides. All the aides are present, and even a few gangsters help Doc and team out in beating the white super race. The author was a popular SF writer, but sadly died of a heart attack several years ago, so we won’t see any more stories in this series. However, he proves in these Doc Savage pastiches that he could have written more if he’s had time. The two published novels in the Doc Sidhe series were lots of fun. Highly recommended.

[Brian Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The joy of mid-list RPG novels. This return to the retro-pulp fantasy world of Doc Sidhe leans heavily into the themes of race, culture, and parallel history that were only hinted at in the first novel. By changing up the viewpoint character to Zeb Watson we get not just an excuse to re-orient the reader to the world with yet another new person, but also get the African American viewpoint on the world. It works very well.

[Dantegideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was excellent. Characters unique and memorable, plenty of action and adventure, moderately weighty plot; really nice.

[Dalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, pulpy ride that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[Lynn Calvin]

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[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun romp. I want to read more.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed but a little difficult to keep up with the scene changes sometimes.

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

JL 002

[Laura Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good sequel to Doc Sidhe. Wish he'd write more.