Farscape: House of Cards [Paperback]

Liantac is a gambler's paradise and one of the crown jewels in the middle of nowhere. According to Rygel, expert on all things fun, he's always wanted to go there and would have gone before except for a slight problem. There's been a little woe that wouldn't allow for travel to the planet with ships. After being sought after, told they'd be paid well for taking someone there, and reassured that biomechaniod ships function in its atmosphere, the crew agrees (some reluctantly) they can get supplies while planetside. Taking a deposed figurehead into a place like that can result in some problems, however, just like taking an Ex-Peacekeeper can drudge up some old problems. Yeah, its just like old times.

One thing I liked about this in light of the series and its departure is that this captured the Farscape feel rather well. Keitch R. A. DeCandido seems to know the series, and he certainly understands the motivations behind the characters. While reading along, he briefs you on the people therein much like the show would do, keeping them feeling like the series always does. He also knows his timeframe, too, and must have followed the series while working on this book. According to the author, it is set toward the end of season 2, between the episodes "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Locket." Knowing that and watching a few DVDs from that timeframe helps plugs into it rather well.

If you're like me and you still miss Farscape, then this isn't a bad way to find a little more of your fix. Its not the dynamic of the television cast playing out with a nice budget and some special effects, but it really does feel like the shows from that time often felt. It even does one of the things that the shows are notorious for, adding in a little "Earth humor" into the Crichton equation and letting him interpret many of the things he's seeing for you. Coupled with a nice outing by the always-troublesome "Sparky," a little Nebari moving, some Luxan added to the fray, and into sets the mood and the timeline really well.

To note, if you are new to Farscape then you need to watch the series up until the points mentioned and let it do the introduction for you. This is merely an installation in the saga and works well as an add-on to the DVD sets. While it could be understood without the background, picturing the faces and knowing their woes ahead of time lets this have more effect because the author does something I like, treating me like a viewer of Farscape and not a bumbling fool in need of constant reminders. Too many books do that when tied to a spin-off.