he crew of the sentient spaceship Moya has been made an offer that they can't refuse. While cruising along in the Uncharted Territories--where they spend much of their time these days, trying to stay out of the reaches of the draconian Peacekeepers (for reasons as many and various as the seven-member crew's own histories and personalities)--they come across a trading vessel. A passenger on this vessel, an avian Lian life form named Rari, informs them that he's willing to pay a hefty sum of money if they'll only take him to his home planet, a pleasure world called Liantac.
The reason Rari needs Moya and her crew to do it? Due to a catastrophe that occurred some 30 cycles before, only organic ships can even get close Liantac's atmosphere; and even though the planet's quite far away, the Leviathan Moya's faster-than-light Starburst Drive should have them there in no time.
With some reluctance from nearly all the crewmembers (except the solipsistic, deposed sovereign Rygel XVI, who can't wait to get to Liantac so he can do some real gambling), they agree to Rari's offer anyway--they're all in need of some supplies for one reason or another. John Crichton, Moya's only Earthling and oddest man out (having come to this part of the universe through a wormhole and very much by accident), decides to remain on Moya while the others shuttle down to Liantac--the place sounds too much like a city on John's homeworld called Las Vegas not to make him homesick.
But this planet proves to be far from pleasurable--not only has ex-Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun come across an unpleasant ghost from her past, but Rygel's gone and lost the Leviathan in a game of cards with a Lian named Netoros, a member of the Consortium, Liantac's ruling economic body. Netoros then gives Moya's crew a choice--relinquish their ship, get turned over to the Peacekeepers or do her a few "favors." Relishing what's behind doors number one and two even less than the third, the crew agrees to do Netoros' "favors"--and that's when things start to get really frelling hairy.
Novel series makes for novel novel
Based on the SCI FI Channel's original television series Farscape, the events in House of Cards take place toward the end of the show's second season. Readers unfamiliar with the series will certainly be able to navigate their way through the various characters and concepts that are the foundation of the show with this, Farscape's first novelization, but, as might be expected, it's likely that it will be viewers of the show (occasional or fanatic) who will derive the most enjoyment from this story most easily.
Author Keith R.A. DeCandido does a good job of capturing the various voices of Farscape's protagonists (the show's main villains are present only in name)--from the calm philosophy of the priest Zotoh Zhaan to the grave impetuousness of the warrior D'Argo--and the book does possess much of the action, humor, imagination and drama (including some of the emotional-sexual tension) viewers of the television series have come to expect. The story itself, however, lacks a certain sustainable pizzazz--there's only so much that can be done with a concept that's essentially "Farscape in Las Vegas."
The Lian beings are rendered interestingly and variously enough for what they are--bird-like humanoids that lend themselves more to comedy than anything else. And while fans of the show will be treated to some unique views of Moya's crew, no terribly heavy new insights are revealed. There are a number of references to events from past Farscape episodes in the book, but perhaps what comes out the most in House of Cards is a reminder of how cranky the cast of characters can be to one another.
So while Farscape: House of Cards might not be the definitive Farscape book, it very well could serve as a nice introduction into an ongoing series of novels that fans can look forward to for some time to come.
