Nothing but Blue Skies

Tom Holt

Average Rating 7/10 (2 Reviews)

There are very many reasons why British summers are either non-existent or, alternatively, held on a Thursday. Many of these reasons are either scientific, mad, or both - but all of them are wrong, especially the scientific ones.

The real reason why it rains perpetually from January 1st to December 31st (incl.) is, of course, irritable Chinese Water Dragons.

Karen is one such legendary creature. Ancient, noble, near-indestructible and, for a number of wildly improbable reasons, working as an estate-agent, Karen is irritable quite a lot of the time.

Hence Wimbledon.

She becomes positively incensed, however, when she discovers that her father, the Adjutant General to the Dragon King of the North-West, has been kidnapped by a mob of livid weathermen. An increasingly angry Karen heads out on a quest, or, at least, a hobby, to rescue her father from their evil clutches.

And some people start building Arks...

Review by Victim (010302) Rating (7/10)
Review by Nigel (010901) Rating (7/10)

Review by Victim
Rating 7/10
Ah - the Great British weather, obsession with the weather etcetera. As I look outside the window I can see brilliant blues sky, the sun, and some evil black clouds, all of which means that the weather doesn't have a clue what to do next. Now, you may think that I am just waffling on for the purposes of being boring and British, but truly it is relevant...

Tangent time! What happens when you just get fed up with your life? If you break away and go your own way? Just to get away from filial hassle. Well - if you are part of a rigid structured life, this may appeal, but people may come looking for you, especially if you are a dragon, more so if you are a daughter of a high ranking dragon.

The belief that the weather is caused by dragons is an old one, and that is the basis of this book. Global Domination, Love and other crazy antics ensue, with the usual flair.

As usual, this is a well-written piece, with certain absurdities thrown at you in such a way that they seem normal, a thing that Tom Holt does do very well.

I would say that I do very much enjoy Tom Holt's writing; I started with Grailblazers, and eventually found all of the rest, which may be reviewed at some stage. This is not the best, although it is not the worst either. Overall it is a very good read, with plenty of chuckles, and I'd probably give it about a 7/10.
Victim (1st March 2002)

Review by Nigel
Rating 7/10
I was a little nervous upon starting this novel (sad, but true) as I'm a big fan of Tom Holt's work and his last two efforts have been a little dire (see Valhalla and Snow White and the Seven Samurai). However, I'm happy to report that he is back on form with Nothing but Blue Skies, which sees a welcome return of his dry sense of humour.

The story is about the good old British weather. As you are probably aware the climate of Britain is notoriously variable and changeable from day to day, sometimes from minute to minute. Visitors should be prepared for rapid changes of weather at all seasons and recognise that there is a good reason for The Weather being a major talking point in Britain.

The story revolves around the kidnapping of the Adjutant General to the Dragon King of the North-West and the strange dry spell that ensues. His daughter, currently masquerading as a human in love, tries to find him. So begins a quest involving, in no particular order, gold fish, weathermen, media tycoons, estate agents, mad government employees, scientists and Dragons.

I enjoyed this story. Although not as good as some of Tom Holts earlier works it is well worth the read and I'm glad I persevered.
Nigel (1st September 2001)