The Premise
A handful of individuals are gathered together, and initiated into a long-standing conflict in the realm of dreams.
In Review
In Masterton's world of dreams, nearly anything is possible; to his credit, the author makes full use of this leeway, and shares some bizarre ideas. The villains in the story are monstrous titans, fearsome in aspect and armed with mystical weapons that can destroy the unwary with the merest of gestures. Meeting these foes are heroes equipped with equally fantastic weaponry, and an array of skills that challenge the physics that rule the waking world.
The opening shot in this nocturnal battle is a sinister development that threatens the livelihood of newborn babies in the state of Louisiana. Into this fray enter a few individuals of notable mediocrity; each is dealing with day-to-day demands, and aware of little outside of their own perspective. This makes them ripe for the hand of a an all-knowing guide, and such a presence enters their lives and brings them all together. Lofty words are exchanged, and though the dialog does sound forced, the prospect of an epic adventure is too good to pass up – for both character and reader alike.
Once the stakes have been established, and the opposition described in some grisly detail – hints of foreshadowing of the violence to come – the chosen heroes take their first step to stem the tide. From here on, everything gets a little . . . well, weird. Expecting your usual parallel universe full of idealized archetypes, I was surprised by the shape and form of Masterton's fantastic aspirations. Yes, the heroes do don armor, but of a make and look that you could not possibly guess, unless you have a penchant for the glam days of rock-and-roll. Their assigned weapons are, likewise, anything but your complement of sword, axe, bow, and magic staff. Each warrior is also given a new name, and these are nonsensical, almost whimsical.
The ensuing battles are equally strange and chaotic. One of the characters tries to destroy an ice creature by using a Sun Gun, which, in my understanding, fires a particle as hot as the center of the sun; another turns time forward, in order to propel a chasing enemy ahead of them, allowing a surprise attack from the rear. The bad guys are part monster, part magician, and employ weapons and armies that could have come from the darker side of Dungeons and Dragons. There is surprising element of the grotesque, such as an outrageous attack on a Night Warrior that is part rape, part murderous sorcery.
This tale is full of odd ideas, and Masterton tosses them out at a feverish pace. Some inconsistencies do appear, such as the novice tactics of the Night Warriors, despite their supposedly inherited talent for war. The nature of the dream world is uncertain, and I wondered how it was that some laws of physics did not apply, while conventional weapons still functioned; I mean, can you have the boom without the bang? And what about the consciousness of the person dreaming? Aren't they going to suffer at least a little after playing host to gigantic energies and disgusting carnage?
Of course, if you're taking this tale that seriously, you're missing the point: Night Wars is a fun tale full of weirdness. I would even call it goofy, in a complimentary way. Parts of it felt like an odd video game concept, complete with weapons of awesome destructive power, and monsters that are good for no more than trigger-happy target practice. I also couldn't help but think of The Matrix, what with the cool costumes, code names, and warfare on another level of reality. However you look at it, Night Wars posits Evil that is definite, and Good that must strive to prevail. Like the Night Warriors themselves, you just have to accept your given role as Dream Observer, and enjoy the show.
9/21/06
