Scan barcode
daktor's review against another edition
2.0
I gave up. I really, really wanted to like this book. The first one piqued my interest enough to encourage me to get this book and the next for my holiday. However I am at page 157 and I'm so bored it's unbelievable.
I know these are two incredibly talented authors with an impressive library of books behind them. But this, this just didn't seem to have any plot, nothing was happening!
I did notice in the first one that it was kind if heading that way, but the first one still had a plot of exploring the long earth.
This book just seems to be groups of people, who I don't care about, flying on ships. That's it. They're stepping through all the different earths and having, minor, boring interactions with the inhabitants. There's so many different people now, I found myself trying to go back through the book to find out who they are and what they're doing!
I was hoping this was going to expand into a humanity civil war or something but no. I think that if I'm this far in and nothing has gripped me one bit yet then I need to go elsewhere.
Abandoning this book and the series. Damn shame, but I don't have the time to waste.
However, it has not put me off either of the authors. I'm still going to read their individual work.
I know these are two incredibly talented authors with an impressive library of books behind them. But this, this just didn't seem to have any plot, nothing was happening!
I did notice in the first one that it was kind if heading that way, but the first one still had a plot of exploring the long earth.
This book just seems to be groups of people, who I don't care about, flying on ships. That's it. They're stepping through all the different earths and having, minor, boring interactions with the inhabitants. There's so many different people now, I found myself trying to go back through the book to find out who they are and what they're doing!
I was hoping this was going to expand into a humanity civil war or something but no. I think that if I'm this far in and nothing has gripped me one bit yet then I need to go elsewhere.
Abandoning this book and the series. Damn shame, but I don't have the time to waste.
However, it has not put me off either of the authors. I'm still going to read their individual work.
skiznitz's review against another edition
3.0
The first book felt a little reminiscent of Le Guins Sci fi, with a strong emphasis on the anthropology of the worlds being explored.
This was similar but lost a lot of my interest as many times something was happening and then the authors would cut away to another perspective where totally different characters describe what happened to the characters we just saw, rather than actually seeing what happens to the characters.
A lot of different characters running through their own adventures, but their stories didn't seem to converge in meaningful ways. It makes me hesitant for the third book, but I think I'll give this series at least one more chance.
This was similar but lost a lot of my interest as many times something was happening and then the authors would cut away to another perspective where totally different characters describe what happened to the characters we just saw, rather than actually seeing what happens to the characters.
A lot of different characters running through their own adventures, but their stories didn't seem to converge in meaningful ways. It makes me hesitant for the third book, but I think I'll give this series at least one more chance.
riffmonkey's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I read this immediately after the first, and maybe that was a mistake, mostly because there was a 10-year skip with a bunch of choices I did not agree with. First of all, why did Joshua marry the fucking 17-year-old he met?? What? Why!
Regardless, this story felt much less fleshed out than the introduction to the long earth was. Especially because it was lacking the interspersed stories of the random other people that I really loved about the first book. It also felt slow and rushed at the same time and the pacing seemed off. I still enjoyed it but I didn't love it.
Regardless, this story felt much less fleshed out than the introduction to the long earth was. Especially because it was lacking the interspersed stories of the random other people that I really loved about the first book. It also felt slow and rushed at the same time and the pacing seemed off. I still enjoyed it but I didn't love it.
mrcalabunga's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
noachoc's review against another edition
4.0
Mr. Pratchett and Mr. Baxter have woven an intricate world. I hope we will have the opportunity to explore more of it.
iguessitsme's review against another edition
3.0
not quite sure what to make of this.. great world building but the title is misleading (there's not really an actual war) and so is the little synopsis on the back.
I thought the whole book would be about humans messing up their relationship with other sektient life forms (trolls) and trying to get them back.
That's not quite what happened but it's one of the 5 or so subplots (there is no main plot apart from exploring the long earth)
I thought the whole book would be about humans messing up their relationship with other sektient life forms (trolls) and trying to get them back.
That's not quite what happened but it's one of the 5 or so subplots (there is no main plot apart from exploring the long earth)
vasvalch's review against another edition
3.0
Still a huge Pratchett fan, but this one was just underwhelming. No proper culmination, no proper ending moment. It feels like the part of a trilogy before anything interesting happens.
great_wizzard's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book the authors seemed to blend better then in the previous outing. I would describe it as a fun read had in not had Pratchett's name on it, so it almost seems like it is trying to be serious but then when the chance to make a joke comes up they can't help but grab it.