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Band Of Gypsies (Bold As Love book 4) by Gwyneth Jones
01/11/2005 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
pub: Gollancz. 297 page enlarged paperback. Price: £10.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-575-07044-7. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.orionbooks.co.uk and www.boldaslove.co.uk
Try as I might, I just can't get into Gwyneth Jones' books. There are flashes of inspiration and pure genius in the future dystopic Britain and its heroes of rock stars turned rulers but ultimately, as a reader, I can't seem to engage with the random nature of the plotline, which never seems particularly focused on where it's going.
There's a lot that makes me want to love these novels, which began with 'Bold As Love' and now reach their fourth incarnation, 'Band Of Gypsies', another title taken from Jimi Hendrix' back catalogue incidentally spelt as 'Band Of Gypsys'. The central trio of characters are dynamic and eccentrically interesting and flashes of humour lift the whole thing up.
The action centres around Muslim convert and sometime King, President, lead singer and rebel leader Ax Preston and his love triangle with quintessentially English music programmer Sage Pender and the beautiful rock princess Fiorinda. The real highlight of the book is the banter between this ménage a trois and the parts featuring just the threesome work extremely well.
The main issue comes from when they have to get involved with the external world, in which British Government has fallen and various revolutions, despotic rulers and civil wars have arisen as people try to fill the void. The world's oil reserves have been destroyed by a new super-weapon: magic. So far, so very interesting.
It's a great premise, to be fair. I read the back page and imagine a fantastic exploration of society breaking down, the chaotic politics of a fractured world, a fascinating new cyberpunky milieu. Some of it is hinted at throughout, tantalisingly but never enough to really feel like the three protagonists are involved in anything that actually mattered. The love triangle takes precedence over everything, so much so that pretty much every other character seems pretty irrelevant and often bland and forgettable.
In this volume, Fiorinda, Ax and Sage begin at a protest for a French Refugee camp when they are asked back to England so Ax can serve as figurehead president for a new government. Then the people in government scheme to have Ax vilified, imprisoned and removed from this post, whilst the Chinese super-power meanwhile takes over half the world. There's still plenty of time for lots of gigs, rampant threesomes and MTV style interviews.
The plot is a jumbled mess, never quite focusing on the dangers at stake or the motives of anyone bar the central three characters, who seem so disconnected from events that no harm will ever befall them, no matter how many people double-cross them. A lot of the time events seemed to happen just so the three were broken up so that it could add tension into the relationships but the actual events that take the characters away from each other are never fleshed out and never seem like a real danger or reward.
'Band Of Gypsies' captures so much of British culture brilliantly, the pubs, the dry humour and the rock and roll ethos. Fiorinda, Ax and Sage are enjoyable characters to be around and their interactions are lively and fun. I just wish I felt like everything else wasn't just window-dressing for their relationship.
Part of this may be the laid back rock star natures of the characters. Mostly though, I think the events that occur outside of the bedroom are trivialised and occur to quickly without full weight being given to them. When a government is overthrown, a country invaded or the world's supply of oil disappears, it's a pretty major event, with huge repercussions on lives, society and everything in between. When all it causes is a few minor relationship problems for the main characters, I find myself losing interest.
There's no denying that Gwyneth Jones does some things really well and for some readers the intrigue and fun of the love triangle might be enough to satisfy them. Personally, I need memorable characters to live in a fully realised world and interact fully in an immersive plot to fully enjoy a book. 'Band Of Gypsies' never quite achieved that integration.
Tomas L. Martin
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