Review by Ed Cox - The Dog at the Foot of the Bed

THE DOG AT THE FOOT OF THE BED
by Tyree Campbell
Reviewed by Edward Cox
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Since the beginning of history, family sagas have never failed to captivate the human race. Across the globe, the religions and mythologies of every culture are littered with tales of kith and kin. For millennia we have dined upon the wars and passions between rival siblings, the unconditional bonds of mothers, and the many splintered facades of a father’s love. Yet, we never grow bored, and like some fundamental meme, they remain forever in our blood.

Not least of all does this relate to the stories of the ancient Celts, and the heroes and villains from pre-Roman Britain. And in The Dog at the Foot of the Bed, Tyree Campbell raises the ghost of our Celtic forefathers, and delivers a SciFi family saga that is as intriguing as it is complex.

Set in the same futurescape as Campbell’s first novel Nyx, The Dog at the Foot of the Bed follows the exploits of the Shannen siblings, a family whose heritage lies somewhere in the misty past of Ireland. Living on a remote world, the Shannens’ life, though far from uncomplicated, is peaceful enough. That peace is shattered, however, when past exploits and old rivalries begin coming back to haunt them.

Siobhan, the oldest of the Shannen sisters, is something of a family renegade. She is a major in the military, and no longer lives with her siblings. One day she learns from her superiors that somebody, somewhere in the galaxy, had gained the terrifying means and power to destroy entire planets. With dire force, the strikes come with little warning, and are without apparent motive. Siobhan is ordered to discover the culprit behind the attacks, and quickly finds herself in the midst of a political quagmire. Here, she is forced to rekindle relations with the family she once walked away from.

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