Rainbow Gardens by James Malone is more than a World War II epic, it’s a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and social remembrance of things  that went right, and things that went wrong in the past. And, just as our service men and women made a commitment to defend our country, readers must make a commitment to the size of this novel: 614 pages.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t likely to be a book you struggle through, it’s just a whopper. Had the author split the book into two parts, most readers would have been happy to purchase the second half after finishing the first.

Personally, I was surprised by the content after seeing just the cover. I don’t read the blurbs and notes by the author, I just start reading, so imagine my surprise when the story starts with a troll named Franco who is struggling through the New Mexico desert trying to make it back to his cave. Hmmm.

So, if you think this is all about war and destruction, think again. The story is much larger than that. This is life, the world of the early 1900’s, where it when wrong, where we could learn from mistakes to make it right. It’s about people, beliefs, attitudes, prejudices – and the foolishness of man as seen through the troll’s eyes – and those who would set the tone and attitudes of the future.

I can’t help but think that many readers of fantasy and science fiction might pass this book by, viewing the book as just a World War II story. That’s a pity.

FIVE STARS