Call number
Genres
Publication
St. Martin's Press
Pages
202
Description
A follow-up to Unquenchable Fire, winner of the 1988 Arthur C. Clarke Award. In New York, Paul has a problem. An ancient, ferocious spirit has fallen in love with him. He looks to his 14-year-old cousin, Ellen, for help. She then turns to the toughest, feistiest lawyer in the city.
Awards
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1994)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 1995)
Chesley Award (Nominee — 1996)
Otherwise Award (Shortlist — 1995)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1994
Physical description
202 p.; 7.9 inches
ISBN
0312110774 / 9780312110772
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User reviews
LibraryThing member lquilter
Set in the same world as Pollack's [Unquenchable Fire], this book is an amazing introduction to Pollack's world ('the Living World'): a modern world in which the forces of magic have entered full force.
An amazing job juxtaposing the modern -- including the modern sense of science, laws, order, and
An amazing job juxtaposing the modern -- including the modern sense of science, laws, order, and
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bureaucracy -- with the fantastic. The Living World is a grim and somewhat dark world, but it holds up as bizarrely credible. Plotting is as good as world-building -- tense and interesting. And I enjoyed the characters, their histories, and relationships. Show Less
LibraryThing member sumariotter
this was a fun, light read. I'm very into sci-fi alternate histories. lesbian sci-fi alternate history, even better. This one is not fleshed out very much. So, it's interesting but I'll probably forget it soon.
LibraryThing member Lirleni
While I do enjoy Unquenchable Fire, I think I do prefer Temporary Agency. The world feels more fleshed out in a way. Which makes sense, as this one takes place some undefined time after. There is a part of this one where it is mentioned as taking place three generations after the Revolution, and
in _Agency_ on the other hand, while we do have a viewpoint character, it is more of an ensemble cast. the other characters are not there just for their interactions with Ellen.
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the timing is not defined even that well in Fire, but it just feels like the world has settled a bit more after the upheaval of the Revolution. Or maybe it's that Agency feels more encompassing of the world. In _Fire_, everything is focused on Jennie Mazdan, as she is carrying a being who will eventually be revered alongside the Founders, though we only get glimpses of Valerie. We definitely get the full feeling that the Bright Beings are manipulating Jennie for their own ends. Everyone else is just stage dressing ultimately. Even Valerie, since she only directly appears on a few pages.in _Agency_ on the other hand, while we do have a viewpoint character, it is more of an ensemble cast. the other characters are not there just for their interactions with Ellen.
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