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There must be more to life than this, thinks Philemon Abu Dhubhai, and his friends agree. Stuck in dead-end careers as teachers in a second rate sorcery school, they amuse themselves by drinking and brawling in local taverns -- that is, until someone assassinates a student and they are launched upon a Quest that will bring them up against criminal gangs, extraterrestrials, necromancers, biological warfare, and the amorous demands of Gretchen Kinnderboom.

Trapped is James Alan Gardner's latest adventure set in his strange post-apocalyptic future. In the twenty-first century, Earth was invaded by aliens and four centuries later the planet is ruled by the capricious and mysterious Spark Lords who allow a remnant population of humans to live under pre-Industrial conditions amid the ruins of ancient Old Tech. Further altering the landscape is the advent of "magical" powers actually made possible by sophisticated nanotechnology.

A set-up like this gives Gardner free reign to blend and satirize both SF and sword and sorcery -- a disparate mix of elements that does not always work well. The tone of the book is also uneven, veering from broad slapstick to violent action to philosophical musings. Bringing all of this together coherently would be quite a feat, and Gardner regrettably does not succeed.

Nevertheless, he come close at times, mostly due to his strong characters. I was drawn through Trapped by the charming, mildly inept Philemon, his romantic predicaments and his band of eccentric friends. Unfortunately, the very real humanity of these characters makes Gardner's slapstick feel contrived, and gives a grotesque edge to the rising bloody carnage. I also tired quickly of the plethora of Star-Wars-bar-scene aliens, such as the giant lobster butler.

Finally, the conclusion of this book -- a long, bloody battle at Niagara Falls punctuated with lectures about the meaning of life -- felt unconvincing and hastily patched together.

This is far from Gardner's best book. Some readers will find it an amusing romp through a bizarre future Earth; others will be disappointed.

Donna McMahon discovered science fiction in high school and fandom in 1977, and never recovered. Dance of Knives, her first novel, was published by Tor in May, 2001, and her book reviews won an Aurora Award the same month. She likes to review books first as a reader (Was this a Good Read? Did I get my money's worth?) and second as a writer (What makes this book succeed/fail as a genre novel?). You can visit her website at http://www.donna-mcmahon.com/.