Peridot Episode 2: The Caesar Talisman
By Tyree Campbell
This is the second novel in the three-novel series (so far) of Tyree Campbell’s Peridot series.
For the uninitiated, the plot centers on Patricia “Ricia” Ryder, a young American expatriot living in France. Book One established the concept of Ricia gaining superheroine powers after crossing paths with the ancient Celtic goddess Sequana. The action-adventure series pits Ricia against an assortment of opponents, including French organized crime figures. Ricia dabbles-in and competes with her foes for historical coin artifacts which her goddess benefactor leads her to find in the French countryside.
Oh, and did I mention that said goddess Sequana is technically insane?! That leads Ricia/Peridot to question and be on-guard regarding the mysterious missions that the goddess sends her on throughout the series. The first book ended on a cliffhanger as Mars, the God of War unexpectedly arrives on the scene and provides equivalent powers to Mad Paul Spirito, Peridot’s main organized crime opponent.
Book Two ratchets-up the action-adventure plotline and atmosphere of intrigue as the goddess Sequana leads Peridot to excavate The Caesar Talisman, a heretofore lost ancient coin that bestows immense power on the owner. The battle lines for both protecting and stealing the Talisman are drawn-up. On the good guy’s side are Peridot and her two friends Stephanie Renaud and Nathalie Yadama, as well as the handsome and dashing potential love interest police gendarme Henri Delarue. Leading the gang of evildoers are Mars and the newly-empowered Mad Paul Spirito rechristioned as the evil villain Lord Kyzar. And somewhere in-between good and evil are the Vartans, a father-son pair of historical coin experts, whom both sides gingerly consult and at times carefully attempt to manipulate in their efforts to secure permanent control of the all-powerful coin talisman.
I very much enjoyed Book One in this series as detailed in my previous review. In many ways, I enjoyed this Book Two even more, for a few reasons. First, the cast of characters is richer than in the first installment. Peridot’s main character role is expanded to include the self-labeled “Three Musketeers” of Ricia, Stephanie and Nathalie working as a team to deal with their challenges and opportunities. I also liked passages that centered on Nathalie’s struggles as a Togolese immigrant to France, dealing with employment challenges, discrimination and adjusting in general terms to a new life.
Secondly, the plot thickens with the introduction of the Vartan father-son coin experts, two mere mortals who have no idea (at least so far) that they’re the focus of a tug-of-war between fantastical powers of good and evil. Their cluelessness heightens the tension and adds a nice element to the complexity and entertainment of the plot.
Third, author Tyree Campbell once again succeeds in immersing us in the reality of real-world French culture and community that seamlessly blends real-world France with the fantasy elements of this novel. Of particular impact are Campbell’s descriptions of various French communities and the in-between countryside, often poetic and very visual in his language. My two favorite such passages are a description of the historical city of Arles that envisions the community as “a city trapped among several ages” and then beautifully elaborates on that statement, followed in the next chapter by a passage describing the French countryside as “a map designed by Matisse” and then similarly elaborates on that accurate claim.
My personal experience is that only a small percentage of sequels in any format (books, movies, television) meet the standards and quality of their original installment. Happily, The Caesar Talisman provides us with one of those rare instances of Book Two in a series meeting the quality of the first novel and at times exceeding the first installment in entertainment value.
-Alan Ira Gordon