Book review: Arrow: Fatal Legacies, James R. Tuck
By Amy Woolsey
Exploring the messy aftermath of season 5, James R. Tuck’s new novel expands the Arrow universe in fascinating and entertaining ways.
How did Team Arrow survive Lian Yu? The CW’s superhero series ended its latest season on a devastating cliffhanger, leaving several characters’ fates in the balance. When it resumed, our heroes were, by and large, a well-functioning unit again. Flashbacks showed them escaping from the booby-trapped island, but not the subsequent recovery process — a curious omission, since Arrow is, at heart, a story about trauma.
James R. Tuck’s new book remedies that. Written in collaboration with executive producer Marc Guggenheim, Arrow: Fatal Legacies bridges the five-month gap between seasons 5 and 6. It finds Star City still under the influence of Adrian Chase/Prometheus. Following orders from the dead serial killer, an anarchic arsonist named Alex Faust embarks on a fiery rampage, a crew of mercenaries at his disposal. Only Team Arrow can foil him and end Chase for good. Meanwhile, Oliver struggles to bond with William and navigate his volatile relationship with Felicity.
With season 6 well underway now, Fatal Legacies essentially acts as elaborate filler. Nothing of consequence really happens; otherwise, of course, it would be in the show. Still, it’s an enjoyable read, delivering action, humor, emotion, and romance in spades. Plus, Sara Lance returns!
Character development
Good novelizations aren’t just summaries. Like any adaptation, they modify the source material to fit a different medium, and, in the process, they can enrich it. In particular, they can articulate internal conflicts with a clarity that’s impossible on screen, where you have to depend on actors, dialogue, and cinematography.
Fatal Legacies excels at breathing life into its characters, giving them a rich sense of interiority. Unhindered by the structural constraints of broadcast television, it frequently digresses from the ongoing plot for moments of introspection. There is a whole paragraph devoted to contemplating the sentimental value (or lack thereof) of an abstract painting in the apartment Oliver shares with William — a place “spacious enough for two people who were still strangers.” Narration offers readers a peek at Dinah’s thought process as she accepts her Black Canary uniform and Felicity’s thought process as she watches Oliver on the salmon ladder.
Rest assured, the characters talk plenty too, whether arguing about nicknames or divulging long-buried feelings. As on the show, food and pop culture are popular subjects. Did you know Oliver is a fan of the blues? Well, now you do. Tuck nails each person’s voice, from Quentin’s sarcasm to Felicity’s self-conscious rambling; you can practically hear them speak. Also, just as crucially, he withholds information when appropriate. Sara lets Team Arrow believe that she is in town for a casual visit, when in reality, she wants an escape from her humdrum job at Sink, Shower & Stuff.
In general, Sara is a welcome presence. Her intimate-yet-professional rapport with Oliver brings back bittersweet memories of season 2, and she instantly gels with the newcomers. Especially delightful are her interactions with Dinah (aka Laurel’s successor), which make me wish they got to partner up more often.
Action
If the book has one major flaw, it’s the action. My eyes tended to glaze over when I encountered meticulous descriptions of fight choreography, despite Tuck’s efforts to animate them with gritty prose. (He doesn’t shy away from stating what an arrow or punch does to a person.) The fact is that words can’t capture the kinetic energy of combat as effectively as images, especially if those images are orchestrated by James Bamford. It’s like having a joke explained to you rather than told; the obvious work involved dilutes the gut-level impact.
Still, Fatal Legacies does a solid job of using action to explore character. Not only do the team members have different skill sets and fighting styles, but they also think differently. For instance, when he arrives at a burning building, Curtis’s “engineer mind” swiftly analyzes the destruction and produces a list of chemical combinations that could’ve caused the fire. Oliver thrives on instinct, Rene on raw anger. Sara experiences fights as if in slow motion, making discipline look like grace. Every set piece constructs a clear portrait of Team Arrow both as individuals and as a group.
World-building
By contrast, Tuck keeps description of people and places to a minimum. After all, anyone who has watched Arrow knows what Oliver Queen and Star City look like; describing them would be redundant. But don’t mistake Fatal Legacies’ brisk pace for carelessness. The book teems with little details that lend Oliver’s environment depth and credibility.
For starters, it stays rigorously faithful to established Arrowverse continuity. References to past events and biographical tidbits, such as Curtis’s stint as an Olympic decathlete, riddle the pages, conveying an impression of history. And Fatal Legacies works niftily as a lead-in to season 6, introducing Diggle’s hand problems and foreshadowing Rene’s betrayal.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise, though, is the colorful supporting cast. I could read an entire book about Papa Legbone, the one-legged, gun-toting ex-con musician, or Dr. Schwartz, who has been treating Team Arrow since season 1. Even the henchmen, typically portrayed as mindless, anonymous goons, have distinct personalities. Ultimately, by populating the world with complex people, Tuck creates a world that feels complex.
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Thoughtful and fun in equal measure, Fatal Legacies is a worthy companion to the TV show.