The Hidden World

These books turned out to be really great. They are very unique and teeter the lines between genres (a bit of historical fantasy meets sci-fi meet teen coming of age novel, perhaps?). All four of the novels are well written and really take a second reading to fully comprehend all of the situations and how they fit together. I gave it four stars because Park's writing can be a bit convoluted at times and there are certain all-to-convenient situations. He also doesn't explain some things that seemed to be important when they were first mentioned. These aren't big issues that take away from the overall story, just enough to take it down a notch from 5 stars. It's actually not even a 4 out of 5; it's probably 4.6 out of 5 :)

This one is the ending, the one that makes the whole thing be a whole thing. Arguably, the beginnings and middles of narratives do their bits in this regard too. But it's the ending that seals the deal. More often than not, complete stories are recognizable versions of some general *kind* of story: a mystery, an epic, a romance. A coming-of-age alternate-world fantasy. Etc. And depending on the kind, certain things can and do happen, in the end, and certain things don't. The thing that matters most about this last book in Paul Park's quartet, it seems to me, is that he's trying to break the rules for how certain types of stories (viz., the kind that his would be, if he followed the rules) have to go, ultimately, given the sort of story that they are. So it can't turn out that Peter and Miranda, having first developed themselves into interesting, complex, autonomous people, as Rilke and everyone who's anyone says lovers must, then live happily after. And it can't be like the Wizard of Oz, and they all go home. Or like any of one of those stories where the rightful ruler is restored and then all is well forever. It's bad enough that it has to be a story at all, and therefore be determinate in the ways that stories invariably are. In real life, as Park himself likes to say, things just sort of keep on happening. It might be that the characters end up becoming who they potentially were, thereby fulfilling their destinies in some way. I'm not sure. But I think that the way to read this 4th book is with considerations of form in mind. Plus it's fantastically well-imagined, no pun intended.

Miranda Popescu is beginning to understand her heritage as the once lost thought dead Roumanian princess and as the mythical shape-shifting White Tyger. However, that knowledge also means responsibility to her people and lethal threats from within and without. Nasty sadistic Colonel Bocu wants Miranda dead; the spirit of evil Baroness Nicola Ceausescu may be even more malevolent than when she was living if that is possible; her late Aunt Aegypta has proven untrustworthy and so has the deceased evil Elector of Ratisbon a sinister alchemist. As Miranda now knows dead does not mean the threat expired as they can still cause havoc from the Hidden World. However, the biggest danger comes from the aristocracy still inanely and insanely experimenting with ancient magic that is not understood very well. In that environs her country is losing the war to Turkey and some in her inner circle want that to happen so the outside upstart is dethroned. As she relies on her friends from the other earth's Massachusetts army officer Peter Gross and gender-species shape shifter Andromeda, rumors abound that tinkering with the old magic has led to a weapon of mass destruction that some say is a planetary doomsday machine based on necromantic physics. The fourth and final tale in this superb alternate earth (circa WW I) epic coming of age fantasy is a terrific conclusion to a strong saga. The story line is fast-paced as peril seems to come from everywhere and on just about every page; yet Miranda remains a strong center holding the tense story line together. Although it behooves newcomers to read the previous three novels (see THE WHYTE TIGER, THE TOURMALINE and A PRINCESS OF ROUMANIA) as threads from them are tied up in THE HIDDEN WORLD, Paul Park provides a great finish. Harriet Klausner