Condor and Falcon [Paperback]

"Condor and Falcon" is the continuation of (and probable end of) the "Condor One" and "Talons of the Condor" stories. In the past stories, David Windsor, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Presidential elections, is accused of being homosexual during the final debate. Stating that the people have a right to know, he unashamedly and proudly admits to being gay, and a war-weary nation elect him President. Several assassination attempts are made on him, both by U.S. citizens and foreign countries, he has fallen in love with the Secret CIA agent (Shane) assigned to him during his candidacy, has assigned Shane as his personal bodyguard, and is working to prevent a full-scale world war in the Middle East.

In "Condor and Falcon", Shane has given up his position in the CIA and accepted a position as a security adviser. Shane has also officially moved into the Presidential Bedroom, and is being referred to as "The First Gentleman" and taking on the responsibilities of The First Lady. President Windsor addresses issues such as the Defense of Marriage Act, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and moving the country to energy independence.

First, the negative.... the dialog from the main character is a little too formal and dry. You read lines like "you have many desirable physical qualities" during Windsor's marriage proposal to Shane. Windsor tends to speak rather stiffly, even during relaxed moments, and at times it doesn't convey the strong emotions he is supposed to be feeling during intimate moments. That's about the only negative quality, and I'm not sure it's really negative. It grew on me after a while, and I now find it to be an endearing quality of the character.

Now, the positives (and there are many)...

The story is a liberal's wet dream. The reader gets to experience many things in the story that we've often dreamed of. It's wonderfully fun to read about a gay President. Though I'd never considered it, I found myself reading about how the President's partner/husband/spouse/SO fills the traditional role of the First Lady. It's deliciously fun to hear the reactions of the religious right and imagine their vein-bursting rage as a gay man's homosexual partner is not only filling the role of First Lady, but being generally accepted by the majority of Americans. For a gay man, there's a wonderful fantasy enclosed in these pages. President Windsor basically states that Shane is his partner and he fully expects him to be treated no differently than any of the wives of past Presidents.

President Windsor then addresses Don't Ask, Don't Tell, using his Presidential powers to nullify it. Generals of the armed forces are asked if they will carry out his orders, and if they refuse, they are relieved of duty and a replacement who will carry out his orders is found. Windsor addresses all issues facing Americans, but pays attention to all of the issues addressing gay individuals. He has the power to do this, and unlike previous "pro-gay" Presidents, does what should have always been done.

He has a firm hand in dealing with the tensions in the Middle East. During a few scenes where tension builds and military confrontation occurs, the story becomes even more energetic and interesting. Windsor's stance with hostile nations is strong and firm, and he carries out actions that we realize are fantasy, but we still wish could be real.

The part I like best of the book is that for a little while, you get to watch the personal and public life of a strong, determined, gay President. It's written in the first person, and it's Windsor narrating the events to you. It's enjoyable and easy to read, maintains a good level of interest, and is nicely paced. Suspenseful scenes are mixed in with relaxing, and even surprisingly sentimental, scenes. The overall effect is that you get a feel for the life of this character.

It's wonderfully fun and very enjoyable. It certainly has weaknesses, but it's still interesting and fun. When I had finished it, I found myself thinking about it later and feeling good. It's great when a story does that to you. I strongly recommend this.

"Condor and Falcon" is the third book in the Condor One series and the story picks up almost immediately where "Talons of the Condor" leaves off. President David Windsor and Shane Thompson have made their relationship public and, as the President's life partner, Shane has quit the Secret Service to take on the White House duties of First Gentleman under the codename Falcon.

While the President is dealing with the aftermath of the highest incident of treason in American history, he continues to face challenges to his domestic and foreign policy initiatives and reforms, as well as to his open and public relationship with Shane from both within and without. As First Gentleman, Shane has taken on duties of his own and while some of these remain more traditional in nature, in keeping with the custom of previous First Spouses, many break new ground. Together David and Shane support each other in their public duties, and privately their relationship has greatly deepened as they contemplate marriage, adoption and a life together beyond the White House.

John Simpson continues to explore the "what if" possibilities of an openly gay President in the White House in this third, and likely final, installment in the series in much the same writing style as in the previous books. The story continues to be written in the first person point of view of the main character - David Windsor, providing an intimate view of life in the highest political office in the United States and the pace of the story remains frenetic as the author deftly captures the day-to-day realities of a sitting President. While there aren't as many plot twists and turns as in the previous books, the political drama remains high with a few well-placed climatic events. And of all the books in the series thus far, "Condor and Falcon" is much more focused on the relationship between David and Shane with a most befitting ending to the story.

As one of the strongest elements of this story, the character of President Windsor continues to serve as a conduit through which the author explores creative policy alternatives and solutions to many timely domestic and foreign issues facing the United States such as, the environment and alternative energy, social issues, in particular gay rights, and the Middle East.

The difficulties I had with this book are similar to those I outlined in my reviews of the two previous books and relate to characterization, dialogue and the first person point of view. While the persona of President Windsor is well developed, I felt that characterization fell short in respect of David and Shane as men, and the dialogue between the two is, at times, forced and awkward. The first person point of view also presents some limitations in that the author tends to tell us rather than show us the story and sometimes gets marred in too much ancillary detail.

Despite these limitations, I enjoyed "Condor and Falcon." Mr. Simpson's vast and intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the American political system and the sense of realism the author brings to the issues with which this story deals, coupled with the ability to write compelling political drama with intricate plots bring together the necessary ingredients for good political fiction. But what I enjoyed most in this book and indeed in the series as a whole is that the author has opened the door to and explores the possibilities and promise of a future where sexual orientation will play no determining role in American political leadership and life.

For those looking to read "Condor and Falcon," it is not a standalone novel. In order to truly appreciate the potential of this not too distant America that the author has created, I strongly recommend reading the first two books in the series "Condor One" and "Talons of the Condor" in sequence of publication before embarking upon this one.

NOTE: This review was originally published online by Rainbow Reviews on June 6, 2010.

Hooked. Couldnt put this down, and immediately downloaded the next three books. Definitely made me feel good! All I can say...

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars