Ariel

"Ariel" by Steven R. Boyett
Web: http://www.steveboy.com/

**** CONTAINS SPOILERS ****

Summary:

"Ariel" takes place in a post-apocalyptic time where technology no longer exists. At 4:30 pm, five years ago, the power went out and made way for magic.

Peter Garey is a loner looking out for himself when he stumbles across a small, injured unicorn. After fixing her up, he names her Ariel (after a painting of a unicorn in the public library) and they become friends. One year later, Ariel is healed and helping him out of jams.

Unfortunately, in Atlanta they meet up with more trouble than they can handle. As such, one of their new friends, Russ, introduces them to Malachi Lee, a samurai who understands the supernatural. After a stand-off at Malachi's house that leaves a swarm of dead bodies, Malachi heads to New York to confront a necromancer in hopes that this will save Ariel's life.

After Malachi insists they head in the opposite direction, Pete and Ariel follow Malachi to New York. Along they way, they meet George (a young man whose father has insisted that he slay a dragon as a rite of passage to manhood - they succeed and he goes home), as well as Shaughnassy, a young woman who has dreamed of magic but ironically cannot touch it as she is "impure" (read: not a virgin).

Once in New York, Ariel is captured and Pete has to fight his way out of the Empire State Building in order to find help to free her. He meets up again with Shaughnassy (who escaped when Pete and Ariel were captured), Malachi and a community of freedom fighters. They come up with a scheme to storm the Empire State Building, kill the necromancer (and for Pete, free Ariel) and live happily ever after. Their plan succeeds.

Ariel runs off after being freed, and Pete follows her obsessively, with Shaughnassy keeping him company. In a moment of weakness and need, Pete finally succumbs and they have sex, thus preventing him from ever having contact with Ariel ever again.

*****

As a story, I really liked it. As a post-apocalytic novel written in the past, there are a lot of references to shows/times/places that I was able to catch. Were I even older, I would have understood more of it. Pity.

However, the reason behind the Change was never explored and my curiousity on this subject has not been satisfied. I did love Ariel's description of the physics behind a dragon's fire; about how the supernatural have to obey the natural laws of physics.

The ending, while it didn't end happily ever after, had to happen the way it did. I think the only way that the story could have ended with both Pete and Ariel being together would have been if one of them changed forms (ie: Ariel became human). Loyalty to Ariel prevented Pete from ever having a relationship with a woman, so Shaughnassy was, unfortunately, the person selected to play this role. (However, it was nice to read a story where the guy didn't sleep with every woman who threw herself at him).