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Otherland #2
River of Blue Fire
Second book in New York Times -bestselling author Tad Williams's cyberpunk fantasy series • “Tad Williams is the brightest and best of the fantasists.” ―Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods
Otherland. In many ways it is humankind's most stunning a private, multidimensional universe built over two generations by the greatest minds of the twenty-first century. But this most exclusive of places is also one of the world's best kept secrets, created and controlled by an organization made up of the world's most powerful and ruthless individuals, a private cartel known—to those who know of their existence at all—as The Grail Brotherhood.
Though their purpose in creating Otherland is still a mystery, it may not remain so for long. For they have exacted a terrible price from humanity in the process, and even their highly organized global conspiracy cannot hide the nature of their crimes forever. And now a small band of adventurers has penetrated the veil of secrecy that prevents the uninitiated from entering Otherland. But having broken into the amazing worlds within worlds that make up this universe, they are trapped, unable to escape back to their own flesh-and-blood bodies in the real world.
And as dangers and circumstances split their party into small, widely scattered groups, their only hope of reuniting lies in returning again and again to the River that flows—in one form or another—through all the worlds. But the odds seem to be completely against them as they—and the one outsider with whom they might join forces—become hopelessly lost in realms where an Ice Age tribe's fears can only be quenched in blood...where insects are as large and deadly as dinosaurs...where they are caught in the war between a man made of straw and one made of tin...where cartoon ads take on a life of their own...where humans strive to survive in the aftermath of an alien invasion...and where one among their party is actually The Grail Brotherhood's most terrifying weapon—a sociopathic killer who has never failed and whose current mission is to make certain that not even one member of this little invasion force lives long enough to reveal the truth about Otherland to the people of Earth...
Otherland. In many ways it is humankind's most stunning a private, multidimensional universe built over two generations by the greatest minds of the twenty-first century. But this most exclusive of places is also one of the world's best kept secrets, created and controlled by an organization made up of the world's most powerful and ruthless individuals, a private cartel known—to those who know of their existence at all—as The Grail Brotherhood.
Though their purpose in creating Otherland is still a mystery, it may not remain so for long. For they have exacted a terrible price from humanity in the process, and even their highly organized global conspiracy cannot hide the nature of their crimes forever. And now a small band of adventurers has penetrated the veil of secrecy that prevents the uninitiated from entering Otherland. But having broken into the amazing worlds within worlds that make up this universe, they are trapped, unable to escape back to their own flesh-and-blood bodies in the real world.
And as dangers and circumstances split their party into small, widely scattered groups, their only hope of reuniting lies in returning again and again to the River that flows—in one form or another—through all the worlds. But the odds seem to be completely against them as they—and the one outsider with whom they might join forces—become hopelessly lost in realms where an Ice Age tribe's fears can only be quenched in blood...where insects are as large and deadly as dinosaurs...where they are caught in the war between a man made of straw and one made of tin...where cartoon ads take on a life of their own...where humans strive to survive in the aftermath of an alien invasion...and where one among their party is actually The Grail Brotherhood's most terrifying weapon—a sociopathic killer who has never failed and whose current mission is to make certain that not even one member of this little invasion force lives long enough to reveal the truth about Otherland to the people of Earth...
675 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Tad Williams
334 books7,113 followersTad Williams is a California-based fantasy superstar. His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions worldwide, in twenty-five languages. His considerable output of epic fantasy and science fiction book-series, stories of all kinds, urban fantasy novels, comics, scripts, etc., have strongly influenced a generation of writers: the ‘Otherland’ epic relaunches June 2018 as an MMO on steam.com. Tad is currently immersed in the creation of ‘The Last King of Osten Ard’, planned as a trilogy with two intermediary novels. He, his family and his animals live in the Santa Cruz mountains in a suitably strange and beautiful house. @tadwilliams @mrstad
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
April 25, 2021
The journey continues, just comparable with Simmons and very few other works, in its epic crossover hybrid science fantasy nature.
The irony lies in the fact that both of these authors, daring to crossbreed science fiction and, more or less epic, fantasy, don´t get the honor and especially present mainstream success they would deserve for inventing new settings and mechanisms of the best and second best genre of all time. Although, there is satire too, hm, maybe I shouldn´t make elitist lists about best genres because it´s a highly subjective matter altogether... No, sci fi, go, you´re unmatched!
However, Williams´ tour de force, as many series, gets better with each part, one dives deeper into the immersive fascination of a cyberpunk dystopia, a parallel fantastic virtual reality, and a mixture of different time travel, reality change, good oldfashioned fantasy settings, and very well developed characters.
There´s only one problem, the sheer mass of information in this huge series, which even made the author himself say about this one, or his series Memory, sorrow, and thorn, or about his writing in general, that he should have considered making it easier to understand, not that complex, or at least not that extremely long. I go with that in some parts, but length has never really been that big of a problem in fantasy, the real dilemma is that it´s exhausting and complicated to read, similar to Erikson´s Malazan book of the fallen, I am thinking about restarting reading or rereading after I´ve read the first 3 or 4 books and couldn´t stand the stress of continuing reading, but I am not sure about it because it takes so much time and effort and
I am lazy as heck.
The other problem is, as said, the complexity, especially regarding reading time management, one can´t just read for fun, or even just read from time to time, except one has a photographic memory, because the many complex interwoven plotlines are continued from part 1 to 4, including revelations that suddenly change the seemingly logical premise and characters motivations, which makes it even more complicated to grasp.
If one can handle this and wants both a challenge and one of the most addictive genre chimera reads ever, please enter the VR.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
The irony lies in the fact that both of these authors, daring to crossbreed science fiction and, more or less epic, fantasy, don´t get the honor and especially present mainstream success they would deserve for inventing new settings and mechanisms of the best and second best genre of all time. Although, there is satire too, hm, maybe I shouldn´t make elitist lists about best genres because it´s a highly subjective matter altogether... No, sci fi, go, you´re unmatched!
However, Williams´ tour de force, as many series, gets better with each part, one dives deeper into the immersive fascination of a cyberpunk dystopia, a parallel fantastic virtual reality, and a mixture of different time travel, reality change, good oldfashioned fantasy settings, and very well developed characters.
There´s only one problem, the sheer mass of information in this huge series, which even made the author himself say about this one, or his series Memory, sorrow, and thorn, or about his writing in general, that he should have considered making it easier to understand, not that complex, or at least not that extremely long. I go with that in some parts, but length has never really been that big of a problem in fantasy, the real dilemma is that it´s exhausting and complicated to read, similar to Erikson´s Malazan book of the fallen, I am thinking about restarting reading or rereading after I´ve read the first 3 or 4 books and couldn´t stand the stress of continuing reading, but I am not sure about it because it takes so much time and effort and
I am lazy as heck.
The other problem is, as said, the complexity, especially regarding reading time management, one can´t just read for fun, or even just read from time to time, except one has a photographic memory, because the many complex interwoven plotlines are continued from part 1 to 4, including revelations that suddenly change the seemingly logical premise and characters motivations, which makes it even more complicated to grasp.
If one can handle this and wants both a challenge and one of the most addictive genre chimera reads ever, please enter the VR.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
July 23, 2021
Taking into account that this volume has no beginning and no end, being the continuation of the story started in the first book, it's diffcult to utter an opinion on it. Our heroes wander from simulation to simulation, one more astounding than the other, all different worlds inspired by various myths, childhood stories, or simply the fruits of the owners' imagination.
It drags in the first part, but it picks up later with small clues (and new ones) added to the main puzzle. And what a puzzle! My head buzzes from the huge amount of input. I'm nowhere near even guessing what will be the outcome, therefore I'm on to the next part.
It drags in the first part, but it picks up later with small clues (and new ones) added to the main puzzle. And what a puzzle! My head buzzes from the huge amount of input. I'm nowhere near even guessing what will be the outcome, therefore I'm on to the next part.
June 15, 2015
This is now my second book, not counting novellas, by Tad Williams and while I finished it, I will in fact not be continuing on with the series.
Book 1 in the Otherland series was just interesting enough to continue and finally the ending ramps things up and I was actually entertained. I get that this series is one long book to the author, but it's so absolutely boring I need something to happen and I start to expect it to at least be at the end of the book. Spoiler alert: . Again, just about nothing happens. Yes we had some big-ish revelations but it was so not worth the tedium.
Because, yet again, we have a hugely long book where absolutely nothing happens, or I should say, things happen, but they take so long to happen it's like nothing happens. Listening to A Game of Thrones right now really emphasizes this. Things are constantly happening in that book.
To add to the tedium, the characters are suddenly going from one "land" within this computer system called "Otherland" to another with no end in sight. I just can't possibly see a reason for all this nothing.
And if I haven't already warned enough about spoiling the ending, here's another warning, but the last book at least got my expectations up to believe I might get another solid, entertaining ending. And yet no.
I have the entire series of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and this book really does not recommend it right now. And I do feel bad. I know there are lots of fans, Williams has had a huge impact on the fantasy genre and I definitely have seen glimmers of greatness, but by and large, there's just not enough going on to keep my interest anymore.
2 out of 5 Stars (I finished it so that means something right?)
Book 1 in the Otherland series was just interesting enough to continue and finally the ending ramps things up and I was actually entertained. I get that this series is one long book to the author, but it's so absolutely boring I need something to happen and I start to expect it to at least be at the end of the book. Spoiler alert: . Again, just about nothing happens. Yes we had some big-ish revelations but it was so not worth the tedium.
Because, yet again, we have a hugely long book where absolutely nothing happens, or I should say, things happen, but they take so long to happen it's like nothing happens. Listening to A Game of Thrones right now really emphasizes this. Things are constantly happening in that book.
To add to the tedium, the characters are suddenly going from one "land" within this computer system called "Otherland" to another with no end in sight. I just can't possibly see a reason for all this nothing.
And if I haven't already warned enough about spoiling the ending, here's another warning, but the last book at least got my expectations up to believe I might get another solid, entertaining ending. And yet no.
I have the entire series of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and this book really does not recommend it right now. And I do feel bad. I know there are lots of fans, Williams has had a huge impact on the fantasy genre and I definitely have seen glimmers of greatness, but by and large, there's just not enough going on to keep my interest anymore.
2 out of 5 Stars (I finished it so that means something right?)
March 24, 2016
So, this one goes straight onto the favourites shelf becuase this continuation turned this series from one I really liked into one I loved. The story picks up straight after the ending of the previous book, and I really loved seeing the instant re-immersion.
Some of the elements of this series which I most enjoy:
- The blend of Sci-Fi & Fantasy elements into a convincing, bizarre and fun world filled with exciting scenes.
- The characters - there are SO MANY great characters within this series from Renie & !Xabbu to Martine (who really developed a lot for me in this one with the addition of her diary entries and backstory) to Orlando and Fredricks (a gamer pair who are great friends) to Cristabel (a young girl and the narrative is told from her world-view so you see everything through a lens of innocence) to Paul (the lost wanderer) to all the others. We honestly get to meet so many fabulous characters and I loved all the plotlines which is marvellous becuase it's a long book.
- The pacing - I know for some people a slower story isn't what they like to see, but I find myself falling more and more in love with super chunky books and stories (if they are done well and spend the slow plot time to develop characters & worlds)
- The imaginative worlds - This story is set in a world where VR (Virtual Reality) is a huge part of day to day life and some of the ultra high tech is so capable of simulation that it's virtually like you're in another world. We pass through all sorts of crazy places within this story. Some of my favourites being the Emlar land where all the Emilies live, the War of the Worlds version of London and the giant Kitchen world (you can see they're a bit crazy). We definitely see a lot of travelling in this book and see our character encountering all manner of creatures, cartoons and manifestations in these wacky worlds.
- The plot - we're following a group of characters who are trapped on the Net and travelling through various Sims. The plot didn't ever feel too drawn out for me (especially if you compare it to something like Malazan or Wheel of Time - both super long yet I enjoy both a lot) and I found myself speeding through the majority of the audiobook (which is excellent by the way) in a day when I was travelling.
- The diverse elements - we have characters from all walks of life and from all over the world. Although it's set in South Africa predominantly when we follow the characters of !Xabbu and Renie, we also have an Englishman, Frenchwoman, Australian people and much more. I also love that we have people from vastly different cultures even within the same country like !Xabbu who is from a Bushamen tribe and has excellent stories to tell about this.
- The fun - this story truly is that. I feel as though we're always encountering new things and it's always a little on the crazy side. We get to see God-like beings ruling over their own specially crafted domains, meet the three blind mice and the scarecrow from Oz, and a world where everyone has the same name. All of this, and much more, made this into a crazy story but one I always knew was filled with vibrant, imaginative ideas.
Overall I really, really loved this. I whizzed through the book and I devoured it, and I NEED to go into the next book and final book really, really soon. I just found this to be a book which I loved from start to end, and I think it really worked out well for me at the time to be travelling and binge reading this. 5*s and I will certainly saw this is a series which stays on your mind and is just filled with life. Highly recommend this story!!
Some of the elements of this series which I most enjoy:
- The blend of Sci-Fi & Fantasy elements into a convincing, bizarre and fun world filled with exciting scenes.
- The characters - there are SO MANY great characters within this series from Renie & !Xabbu to Martine (who really developed a lot for me in this one with the addition of her diary entries and backstory) to Orlando and Fredricks (a gamer pair who are great friends) to Cristabel (a young girl and the narrative is told from her world-view so you see everything through a lens of innocence) to Paul (the lost wanderer) to all the others. We honestly get to meet so many fabulous characters and I loved all the plotlines which is marvellous becuase it's a long book.
- The pacing - I know for some people a slower story isn't what they like to see, but I find myself falling more and more in love with super chunky books and stories (if they are done well and spend the slow plot time to develop characters & worlds)
- The imaginative worlds - This story is set in a world where VR (Virtual Reality) is a huge part of day to day life and some of the ultra high tech is so capable of simulation that it's virtually like you're in another world. We pass through all sorts of crazy places within this story. Some of my favourites being the Emlar land where all the Emilies live, the War of the Worlds version of London and the giant Kitchen world (you can see they're a bit crazy). We definitely see a lot of travelling in this book and see our character encountering all manner of creatures, cartoons and manifestations in these wacky worlds.
- The plot - we're following a group of characters who are trapped on the Net and travelling through various Sims. The plot didn't ever feel too drawn out for me (especially if you compare it to something like Malazan or Wheel of Time - both super long yet I enjoy both a lot) and I found myself speeding through the majority of the audiobook (which is excellent by the way) in a day when I was travelling.
- The diverse elements - we have characters from all walks of life and from all over the world. Although it's set in South Africa predominantly when we follow the characters of !Xabbu and Renie, we also have an Englishman, Frenchwoman, Australian people and much more. I also love that we have people from vastly different cultures even within the same country like !Xabbu who is from a Bushamen tribe and has excellent stories to tell about this.
- The fun - this story truly is that. I feel as though we're always encountering new things and it's always a little on the crazy side. We get to see God-like beings ruling over their own specially crafted domains, meet the three blind mice and the scarecrow from Oz, and a world where everyone has the same name. All of this, and much more, made this into a crazy story but one I always knew was filled with vibrant, imaginative ideas.
Overall I really, really loved this. I whizzed through the book and I devoured it, and I NEED to go into the next book and final book really, really soon. I just found this to be a book which I loved from start to end, and I think it really worked out well for me at the time to be travelling and binge reading this. 5*s and I will certainly saw this is a series which stays on your mind and is just filled with life. Highly recommend this story!!
August 25, 2023
Die Reise unserer Protagonisten durch das Netzwerk geht weiter, genauso farbenfroh und voller Vorstellungskraft wie im ersten Band.
Auch dieser Band verliert beim Wiederlesen nichts von seiner Faszination.
------------------
The journey of our protagonists through the network continues, just as colourful and full of imagination as in the first volume.
This volume also loses none of its fascination on re-reading.
Auch dieser Band verliert beim Wiederlesen nichts von seiner Faszination.
------------------
The journey of our protagonists through the network continues, just as colourful and full of imagination as in the first volume.
This volume also loses none of its fascination on re-reading.
June 13, 2011
Filler.
The first novel was long, but it was unraveling a mystery. This is just the main characters being herded through sim after sim, with a few character in the real world having enough screen time to be reminded that they exist. It gets old, because it's not necessary to the plot.
1. A character (Paul Jonas) or team of them (Rennie, !Xabbu) land in a sim word reminding us of something, sometimes blatantly.
2. They get captured or chased.
3. They leave to the next.
This is the bulk of the book. What's left is:
4. Plot events that don't have any real resolution.
5. Introducing even more characters, like a police detective hunting Dread, or a virtual actor.
6. A very tiny amount of plot events that set up real difficulties.
The problem with this is that there are three more books in the series. If this were setting up the last volume, it could be forgiven. But this is just a middle, filler novel, and is souring me on the series. It's still very well written, to the point where each sim could be its own novel. There are times when some great moments peek through. !Xabbu as always is a wonderful character, and each character is different enough not to blur together.
Still, the sheer amount of running in place is frustrating, and the fact that this wont be neatly tied up in a third volume reduces the rating I give. These are not slender books at all.
The first novel was long, but it was unraveling a mystery. This is just the main characters being herded through sim after sim, with a few character in the real world having enough screen time to be reminded that they exist. It gets old, because it's not necessary to the plot.
1. A character (Paul Jonas) or team of them (Rennie, !Xabbu) land in a sim word reminding us of something, sometimes blatantly.
2. They get captured or chased.
3. They leave to the next.
This is the bulk of the book. What's left is:
4. Plot events that don't have any real resolution.
5. Introducing even more characters, like a police detective hunting Dread, or a virtual actor.
6. A very tiny amount of plot events that set up real difficulties.
The problem with this is that there are three more books in the series. If this were setting up the last volume, it could be forgiven. But this is just a middle, filler novel, and is souring me on the series. It's still very well written, to the point where each sim could be its own novel. There are times when some great moments peek through. !Xabbu as always is a wonderful character, and each character is different enough not to blur together.
Still, the sheer amount of running in place is frustrating, and the fact that this wont be neatly tied up in a third volume reduces the rating I give. These are not slender books at all.
May 5, 2020
In this installment of the series we learn more about Otherland. The main characters travel through simulations trying to find out who is behind trapping people in a coma and why. Because these books are actually one big story, there aren't many spectacular things happening in this volume. I wouldn't call it a filler book, as a lot of things get explained in this one which is crucial to understanding the story. I enjoyed reading this, and ofcourse it's a massive almost 800 pages thick, but it went by quite fast. On to part three!
October 11, 2015
Executive Summary: Slow start, and many slow places throughout. The good parts make up for a lot of it, but for that reason I'm rounding my 3.5 stars down.
Audio book: Another great job by George Newbern. He definitely
Full Review
I really enjoyed the first book. Not so much for the characters, but for the setting and the cool ideas. I've always loved the idea of virtual worlds, and Mr. Williams made an excellent blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi that seemed to hit my buttons in the right way.
Unfortunately, the the cool ideas of the first one weren't enough to overcome some slowness, and the characters were more important to my enjoyment of the book. I found some of them annoying, or uninteresting, and it made their plotlines a bit slower.
Renie who I enjoyed in the first book, got on my nerves at times. Thankfully !Xabbu was there to help that story along. The most interesting plotline for me was probably Orlando, though Paul's story was pretty good as too. The rest of them I found good at times, and very slow at times. It felt like there were far too many POVs this go around. I guess with a 4 book door stopper series like this, that's to be expected, but I feel some of it could have been tightened up.
Much of this book seemed to be a way for Mr. Williams to live out fantasy of worlds he'd like to visit/explore from history and/or fiction. I suspect if he chose more worlds that I found fascinating, I'd have enjoyed those parts much more. I found the time spent in bug land particularly tedious.
Yet somehow despite all this, I still enjoyed the book. The ideas and the overarching story have its hooks into me. I want to know what happens next. I will definitely be picking up the third book once my audio time frees up a little. I'm just hoping the pace of the story picks up in the next book.
Audio book: Another great job by George Newbern. He definitely
Full Review
I really enjoyed the first book. Not so much for the characters, but for the setting and the cool ideas. I've always loved the idea of virtual worlds, and Mr. Williams made an excellent blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi that seemed to hit my buttons in the right way.
Unfortunately, the the cool ideas of the first one weren't enough to overcome some slowness, and the characters were more important to my enjoyment of the book. I found some of them annoying, or uninteresting, and it made their plotlines a bit slower.
Renie who I enjoyed in the first book, got on my nerves at times. Thankfully !Xabbu was there to help that story along. The most interesting plotline for me was probably Orlando, though Paul's story was pretty good as too. The rest of them I found good at times, and very slow at times. It felt like there were far too many POVs this go around. I guess with a 4 book door stopper series like this, that's to be expected, but I feel some of it could have been tightened up.
Much of this book seemed to be a way for Mr. Williams to live out fantasy of worlds he'd like to visit/explore from history and/or fiction. I suspect if he chose more worlds that I found fascinating, I'd have enjoyed those parts much more. I found the time spent in bug land particularly tedious.
Yet somehow despite all this, I still enjoyed the book. The ideas and the overarching story have its hooks into me. I want to know what happens next. I will definitely be picking up the third book once my audio time frees up a little. I'm just hoping the pace of the story picks up in the next book.
July 21, 2021
Sigue planito el viaje, pese a que nos mete en otros mundos, no se avanza en casi nada en la trama. De las simulaciones que nos presenta sólo un par de ellas me gustaron, el resto me resultaron infantiles y en otras no se profundiza (el mundo aéreo por ejemplo). Con los personajes pasa casi lo mismo, Paul, Rennie y !Xabbu estan muy bien, bueno, Rennie me está pareciendo ya repunante. Ah! Orlando y Sam esos dos si que tienen miga.
No entiendo las introducciones de capítulos...
Pero yo sigo, que no creo que me quede a la mitad...
No entiendo las introducciones de capítulos...
Pero yo sigo, que no creo que me quede a la mitad...
July 19, 2010
When last we left Our Heroes, they were caught in the Otherland - an immense virtual reality program built by people with more money than God - with no idea where to go and no idea what to do. They were lost, confused and had no way out.
Oh yes - back before Neo got his clock punched by Agent Smith, Renie, !Xabbu, Orlando, Fredericks and all the other Otherland explorers discover that they are in more danger than they realize - if they die on the network, then they'll die in real life. And, almost right out of the gate, people start dying. Whether they're tiny biologists living among the ants or a lifetime gamer warring against the different factions of a twisted Oz, they die in unpleasant and, ultimately real ways. And it's up to our heroes to not only avoid death themselves, but also to figure out what the hell they're supposed to be doing in there.
One of the things I like about this series is that Tad Williams openly admits to stealing - er, paying homage to the great writers of the past. At the end of book one, when all the main characters have been gathered together and are being told about the great dangers they will face, and how they are part of a plan to defeat the Grail Brotherhood and their Nefarious Scheme, most of the people there want nothing to do with it. It's up to Orlando Gardiner, our young barbarian warrior-slash-progeriac teenager to say, "Hey, this the the Council of Elrond! We have a mission here!"
Unfortunately, while the Fellowship of the Ring gets a clear mission before leaving Rivendell, the Otherland explorers are scattered before they know what to do, and their main goal is to run for their lives. As this book progresses, they start to learn more about the vast Otherland network, what its nature is and why it was made. They also learn that it is unstable, and possibly a living thing in its own right.
Almost immediately, the group gets split up. That is, as all ensemble writers know, the best way to really build a meaty story, and it works really well here. Unfortunately, while there are three groups, the strongest and most interesting characters get put into two of them. Orlando and Fredericks get sent off into a world more bizarre than any online gaming ever prepared them for; Renie and !Xabbu end up in a horribly twisted version of The Wizard of OZ, if Oz had invaded Kansas, taken over, and started a three-way fight between the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man.
This leaves us with the third and largest group being somewhat less interesting than the others. Not completely, of course - we have a blind woman who can sense the information flow of the simulation, a teenage net-freak who only speaks in online slang, a campy death-clown named Sweet William, a Chinese grandmother and an abrasive German woman. They're not bad characters by any means, and each one is special in his or her own right. It's just that most of them were introduced later in the first book, and so we've had less time to get to know them. Putting a more familiar character in that group might have made them more interesting, or it might have overshadowed them. Who knows?
One thing that the third group has, however, is a secret - one of them is not who he or she appears to be. One of them has been co-opted by the sociopathic assassin, Dread. The only one with the freedom to go on and offline at will, he has nearly godlike power at his fingertips. And he intends to use it.
I can imagine that Tad Williams had a great deal of fun working out these novels, mainly because he created a concept that allowed for incredible freedom in world-building. After all, on a super-powerful VR platform, any conceivable simulation can be created. So whether it is the mythical land of Xanadu, a cartoon kitchen where the groceries come to life at night, a world where people fly like birds, or the legendary land of Ithaca, the settings in these books are only limited to what Williams can think up and work with.
What's really interesting is that he seems to take great pleasure in reminding us that we are, in fact, reading a story - he goes so far as to have one character reflect on exactly what kind of character he is. People are reminding themselves that they're not in a story, even though they are, and at the same time recognizing that the entire structure of their virtual universe is patterned on the rules of fiction. It's a strange type of meta-fiction that rewards the careful reader.
So, as the book comes to a close, we have some new threads to follow. The Otherland explorers begin to find their purpose and learn about their situation. We've met a strange type of character which exists in many worlds at once - the beautiful, birdlike woman who tries to help Paul Jonas and Orlando Gardiner find their way; the horrible Twins, whose only job is to pursue Paul Jonas wherever he may go. These people can be found around any corner, and the outcome of meeting them is always uncertain.
Offline, real-world investigations into the mysterious comas that afflict children begin to bear fruit - a young lawyer named Catur Ramsey is trying to help the parents of Orlando and Fredericks find out what happened to their children, and the search leads him to a strange woman, Olga Pirofski, who may have a vital clue. Renie's father involves himself with some very dangerous people indeed. The police in Sydney find themselves working on a five year-old murder case that will eventually lead them to the malicious assassin/hacker Dread. A mysterious group called The Circle makes itself known to a select few, and reveals its mission - to oppose the Lords of the Otherland and their relentless pursuit of immortality. All through this, those Lords of the Otherland struggle amongst themselves to see who will ultimately control it.
The tale becomes stranger with the telling, but I can guarantee - you'll be good and ready to jump right into book three....
Oh yes - back before Neo got his clock punched by Agent Smith, Renie, !Xabbu, Orlando, Fredericks and all the other Otherland explorers discover that they are in more danger than they realize - if they die on the network, then they'll die in real life. And, almost right out of the gate, people start dying. Whether they're tiny biologists living among the ants or a lifetime gamer warring against the different factions of a twisted Oz, they die in unpleasant and, ultimately real ways. And it's up to our heroes to not only avoid death themselves, but also to figure out what the hell they're supposed to be doing in there.
One of the things I like about this series is that Tad Williams openly admits to stealing - er, paying homage to the great writers of the past. At the end of book one, when all the main characters have been gathered together and are being told about the great dangers they will face, and how they are part of a plan to defeat the Grail Brotherhood and their Nefarious Scheme, most of the people there want nothing to do with it. It's up to Orlando Gardiner, our young barbarian warrior-slash-progeriac teenager to say, "Hey, this the the Council of Elrond! We have a mission here!"
Unfortunately, while the Fellowship of the Ring gets a clear mission before leaving Rivendell, the Otherland explorers are scattered before they know what to do, and their main goal is to run for their lives. As this book progresses, they start to learn more about the vast Otherland network, what its nature is and why it was made. They also learn that it is unstable, and possibly a living thing in its own right.
Almost immediately, the group gets split up. That is, as all ensemble writers know, the best way to really build a meaty story, and it works really well here. Unfortunately, while there are three groups, the strongest and most interesting characters get put into two of them. Orlando and Fredericks get sent off into a world more bizarre than any online gaming ever prepared them for; Renie and !Xabbu end up in a horribly twisted version of The Wizard of OZ, if Oz had invaded Kansas, taken over, and started a three-way fight between the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man.
This leaves us with the third and largest group being somewhat less interesting than the others. Not completely, of course - we have a blind woman who can sense the information flow of the simulation, a teenage net-freak who only speaks in online slang, a campy death-clown named Sweet William, a Chinese grandmother and an abrasive German woman. They're not bad characters by any means, and each one is special in his or her own right. It's just that most of them were introduced later in the first book, and so we've had less time to get to know them. Putting a more familiar character in that group might have made them more interesting, or it might have overshadowed them. Who knows?
One thing that the third group has, however, is a secret - one of them is not who he or she appears to be. One of them has been co-opted by the sociopathic assassin, Dread. The only one with the freedom to go on and offline at will, he has nearly godlike power at his fingertips. And he intends to use it.
I can imagine that Tad Williams had a great deal of fun working out these novels, mainly because he created a concept that allowed for incredible freedom in world-building. After all, on a super-powerful VR platform, any conceivable simulation can be created. So whether it is the mythical land of Xanadu, a cartoon kitchen where the groceries come to life at night, a world where people fly like birds, or the legendary land of Ithaca, the settings in these books are only limited to what Williams can think up and work with.
What's really interesting is that he seems to take great pleasure in reminding us that we are, in fact, reading a story - he goes so far as to have one character reflect on exactly what kind of character he is. People are reminding themselves that they're not in a story, even though they are, and at the same time recognizing that the entire structure of their virtual universe is patterned on the rules of fiction. It's a strange type of meta-fiction that rewards the careful reader.
So, as the book comes to a close, we have some new threads to follow. The Otherland explorers begin to find their purpose and learn about their situation. We've met a strange type of character which exists in many worlds at once - the beautiful, birdlike woman who tries to help Paul Jonas and Orlando Gardiner find their way; the horrible Twins, whose only job is to pursue Paul Jonas wherever he may go. These people can be found around any corner, and the outcome of meeting them is always uncertain.
Offline, real-world investigations into the mysterious comas that afflict children begin to bear fruit - a young lawyer named Catur Ramsey is trying to help the parents of Orlando and Fredericks find out what happened to their children, and the search leads him to a strange woman, Olga Pirofski, who may have a vital clue. Renie's father involves himself with some very dangerous people indeed. The police in Sydney find themselves working on a five year-old murder case that will eventually lead them to the malicious assassin/hacker Dread. A mysterious group called The Circle makes itself known to a select few, and reveals its mission - to oppose the Lords of the Otherland and their relentless pursuit of immortality. All through this, those Lords of the Otherland struggle amongst themselves to see who will ultimately control it.
The tale becomes stranger with the telling, but I can guarantee - you'll be good and ready to jump right into book three....
July 11, 2016
8/10
In the second book of the series Tad Williams continues to impress as he has added more characters than the previous book, more worlds and much more incredible ideas combining them all into a complex, and weirder, story where only himself could have made.
The story continues right where the previous one left of with Williams expanding his world-building, making it even greater than what he showed in the first book, and with the protagonists going through incredible, and unbelievable, adventures while in the meantime some revelations start coming about the plans of their enemies and what they’re, ultimately, after.
Of course the book has also some problems, though small, as I felt that the story drags a bit more than it needed (mostly in the middle of the book), but as it goes on it becomes more and more better and with the ending having a really good cliffhanger while Williams leaves a lot of promises for the next books.
Overall I can say that, besides its few flaws, I’m quite pleased of how this book turned out in the end, as also with Williams' writing that I’m starting to believe that he actually fits better with Sci-Fi stories.
In the second book of the series Tad Williams continues to impress as he has added more characters than the previous book, more worlds and much more incredible ideas combining them all into a complex, and weirder, story where only himself could have made.
The story continues right where the previous one left of with Williams expanding his world-building, making it even greater than what he showed in the first book, and with the protagonists going through incredible, and unbelievable, adventures while in the meantime some revelations start coming about the plans of their enemies and what they’re, ultimately, after.
Of course the book has also some problems, though small, as I felt that the story drags a bit more than it needed (mostly in the middle of the book), but as it goes on it becomes more and more better and with the ending having a really good cliffhanger while Williams leaves a lot of promises for the next books.
Overall I can say that, besides its few flaws, I’m quite pleased of how this book turned out in the end, as also with Williams' writing that I’m starting to believe that he actually fits better with Sci-Fi stories.
February 11, 2023
Die Geschichte geht immer noch sehr spannend und komplex weiter. Ich bewundere die Phantasie von Tad Williams und bin gespannt, wie sich das alles auflösen wird - wobei das noch etwas dauern wird, in Anbetracht der zwei Bände, die noch fehlen, um die Reihe abzuschliessen.
March 15, 2022
Tad Williams has a great imagination 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You have a bizarro version of the Lion, tin man and scarecow , we have layers and layers of twisted programming , men to baboon Girl to Boy, environment with transition to nightmare!!! Lions and tigers and bears , oh my😫
Take what you know in your life turn it upside down and then invert it !!!
Here’s a example:
None were complete in themselves, but although they were partial and ephemeral, they were also as individual as snowflakes. They seem far more than just a trick of programming each phantom, its moments of Quintessence , Seemed somehow undeniable real to me. I already find it difficult to distinguish between the realism of my companions and the realism of the networks simulated people, but these phenomena were even more complex. It’s such Richness can be engendered purely by mechanical means, even buy a system as magical capable as Otherland, then I have much to consider.
You have a bizarro version of the Lion, tin man and scarecow , we have layers and layers of twisted programming , men to baboon Girl to Boy, environment with transition to nightmare!!! Lions and tigers and bears , oh my😫
Take what you know in your life turn it upside down and then invert it !!!
Here’s a example:
None were complete in themselves, but although they were partial and ephemeral, they were also as individual as snowflakes. They seem far more than just a trick of programming each phantom, its moments of Quintessence , Seemed somehow undeniable real to me. I already find it difficult to distinguish between the realism of my companions and the realism of the networks simulated people, but these phenomena were even more complex. It’s such Richness can be engendered purely by mechanical means, even buy a system as magical capable as Otherland, then I have much to consider.
May 29, 2017
This is a great series and the second book does not disappoint. I can't recommend this series highly enough.
October 2, 2013
Das geniale SF- Epos Otherland #2 von Tad Williams Das ist wirklich das erste Mal, dass sich ein Autor bei mir im Vorwort treffgenau für einen kleinen Kritikpunkt, den ich am ersten Teil auszusetzen hatte, entschuldigt. So was ist mir auch noch nie passiert :-) Williams erklärt ziemlich detailliert die Gründe, warum er keine runde Geschichte zwischen 2 Buchdeckeln abliefern konnte und quasi mitten im Satz als Cliffhanger aufgehört hat, und ich habe ihm sofort verziehen.Zum zweiten Teil der Otherland Saga kann man wirklich nur sagen, dass sich der Romanzyklus zu einem grandiosen Meisterwerk von epischer Breite auswächst und zu Recht als Herr der Ringe des 21. Jahrhunderts tituliert wird. Die konzipierten virtuellen Welten, durch die die Schaar der Gefährten springen (Ähnlich der Gruppe im Herr der Ringe) sind so von überschäumender Phantasie dass es nur so eine Freude ist z.B. Das London aus dem Krieg der Welten nach dem Angriff, der Zauberer von OZ, eine Steinzeitsimulation, eine Insektenwelt in der die Gruppe kleiner als Ameisen ist, eine Comicwelt in einer Küche mit Markenartikeln und Küchenutensilien wie Salatzangen, das Venedig des 16. Jahrhunderts .... - einfach nur herrlich! Wie im Herrn der Ringe werden die Gefährten getrennt und Teile finden wieder zueinander, es gibt in der Gruppe einen Spion, Verrat und einen geglückten Mordanschlag also auch hier ist einiges an Dramatik eingebaut. Auch in der verworrenen Verschwörungsgeschichte des Otherlandnetzwerkes werden ein paar Schleier etwas gelüftet. Am Ende hat sich der Autor dann noch wirklich Mühe gegeben, nicht ganz so abrupt aufzuhören, wie im 1. Teil. Ich freue mich schon auf Teil 3 und 4, die diese Woche geliefert wurden.Fazit: Empfehlung für alle Fans der intelligenten Science Fiction - aber bitte etwas Zeit mitbringen, denn nach ca. 1700 Seiten habe ich noch die Hälfte vor mir und es macht mir gar nix aus ich könnt ewig so weiterlesen, weiterlesen, weiterlesen........ :-)
September 26, 2011
I think I'll try to write a review for every book I read from now on. I know not many read this probably, but it's good to put my thoughts somewhere. I will also keep every review as spoiler free as possible, so don't worry about anything major being said here. With all this said: here is my first daily review, Otherland: River of Blue Fire
PROS: Similar to the first book, Otherland has managed to make me use my imagination is ways that I never have before. The idea of the Net has allowed Williams to create a sort of surreal environment.
The stakes are higher in the this book, there's more action, and the story
CONS: So far, I've been pretty disappointed with the antagonists. For two whole books, all we've really gotten is the same old "rich and powerful want to take over the world" kinda of scenario. And quite frankly, I'm getting a bit tired of this. Sure, we have a couple people who we're supposed to hate like Dread, and maybe Osiris. It also seems like Nemesis is going to play a big role. Still, I haven't developed the level of "hate" yet for these people that I normally feel for your typical villains. Hopefully in the next two novels we'll get something deeper than "rich and power are bad."
Another problem I have with this novel is the lack of story progression. I loved tumbling through the various simluations with the characters. While this was all fun, I felt it didn't exactly end up anywhere.
Overall: 4/5
PROS: Similar to the first book, Otherland has managed to make me use my imagination is ways that I never have before. The idea of the Net has allowed Williams to create a sort of surreal environment.
The stakes are higher in the this book, there's more action, and the story
CONS: So far, I've been pretty disappointed with the antagonists. For two whole books, all we've really gotten is the same old "rich and powerful want to take over the world" kinda of scenario. And quite frankly, I'm getting a bit tired of this. Sure, we have a couple people who we're supposed to hate like Dread, and maybe Osiris. It also seems like Nemesis is going to play a big role. Still, I haven't developed the level of "hate" yet for these people that I normally feel for your typical villains. Hopefully in the next two novels we'll get something deeper than "rich and power are bad."
Another problem I have with this novel is the lack of story progression. I loved tumbling through the various simluations with the characters. While this was all fun, I felt it didn't exactly end up anywhere.
Overall: 4/5
June 5, 2023
Hat sich etwas gezogen ABER dennoch mega gute Fantasy-Science Fiction-Lektüre!
Und Dread ist so fucking unheimlich…
Und Dread ist so fucking unheimlich…
August 28, 2018
Enjoyable, but takes its time...
The second installment of the Otherland series by Tad Williams picks up where the last leaves off. The "heroes" gathered by Mr. Sellers at the Golden City narrowly escape into another simulation, one that seems perfectly normal except that they are now 1/100th their real size. Gigantic insects and birds populate the world, going about their natural activities, but those are hazardous when you're the size of the next meal.
Soon, events beyond their control shatter the small company and each remnant must find its own way through the increasingly disturbing simulations. Renie and !Xabbu find themselves in Oz gone wrong where they meet a mysterious man who can overcome the rules of the simulation and a naive young girl named Emily who needs rescuing.
Meanwhile, Orlando and Fredericks find themselves in the kitchen sink of a cartoon simulation. Soon, they are drawn into a quest to save a baby match (yes, a match) called Little Spark from evildoers who have kidnapped him for nefarious reasons. The river becomes a stream of spilled water where Orlando, Fredericks and Chief Strike Anywhere's (the match's father) lives are threatened by ravenous salad tongs that call the river home.
Shortly after Orlando and Fredericks are swept away, the others find themselves in a world where the river takes on the form of a jet stream, where flight is as natural as walking. Martine becomes the voice of this segment of the group, keeping a log of what's happening and to whom. The mystery of "who is Dread" takes hold as several of her log entries note anomalous behavior by various members, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.
Finally, Paul Jonas continues his quest for the mysterious winged woman who haunts his dreams. Plagued by the tireless Twins, once known as Finch and Mullet, he runs from simulation to simulation, some quite horrifying. Gally, a kid who is neither puppet (part of the program) or citizen (human guest) makes another appearance but fails to recognize Paul from before.
In the "real world", the family and friends of those trapped play out their own dramas. Jeremiah is dismayed with Long Joseph abandons him to see his son who is still in the hospital. Christabel worries for her friend, Mr. Sellers, who has taken Cho-Cho, a scary street boy as his assistant. Catur Ramsey, a lawyer representing the Gardinar and Fredericks families, tracks down leads, including the skittish agent, Beezle Bug, who seems to want to help but cannot do so without his comatose master's permission, and one of the stars of a popular kids show on the net. And in Australia, a detective takes a closed case as a personal challenge and begins to unravel a mystery that may reveal the earliest conquest of a serial killer.
A common theme throughout is the feeling of hopelessness, despair, and perhaps even boredom of both those trapped in Otherland and those in the real world. It's difficult at times to believe that things will get better.
The River of Blue Fire is complex, vivid, and at times scary. The action is intense and hard to predict, which is something I like in a story, and the characters are well-developed and interesting.
On the other hand, this book reminds me of The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien, in that it's a continuation of a story in progress, sort of like a bridge. There is no true beginning or ending, though certain plot elements are resolved along the way. Like Tolkien, the story isn't rushed and in some places seems to linger just a bit too long. The length of the book and the pace may be daunting to those who are unprepared for it. If you have trouble finishing The Lord of the Rings or Battlefield Earth, you might have trouble finishing The Otherland series.
Overall, however, I really liked this story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes epic fantasy, epic sci fi, or the idea of living in a fantastic, yet unpredictable, virtual world.
The second installment of the Otherland series by Tad Williams picks up where the last leaves off. The "heroes" gathered by Mr. Sellers at the Golden City narrowly escape into another simulation, one that seems perfectly normal except that they are now 1/100th their real size. Gigantic insects and birds populate the world, going about their natural activities, but those are hazardous when you're the size of the next meal.
Soon, events beyond their control shatter the small company and each remnant must find its own way through the increasingly disturbing simulations. Renie and !Xabbu find themselves in Oz gone wrong where they meet a mysterious man who can overcome the rules of the simulation and a naive young girl named Emily who needs rescuing.
Meanwhile, Orlando and Fredericks find themselves in the kitchen sink of a cartoon simulation. Soon, they are drawn into a quest to save a baby match (yes, a match) called Little Spark from evildoers who have kidnapped him for nefarious reasons. The river becomes a stream of spilled water where Orlando, Fredericks and Chief Strike Anywhere's (the match's father) lives are threatened by ravenous salad tongs that call the river home.
Shortly after Orlando and Fredericks are swept away, the others find themselves in a world where the river takes on the form of a jet stream, where flight is as natural as walking. Martine becomes the voice of this segment of the group, keeping a log of what's happening and to whom. The mystery of "who is Dread" takes hold as several of her log entries note anomalous behavior by various members, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.
Finally, Paul Jonas continues his quest for the mysterious winged woman who haunts his dreams. Plagued by the tireless Twins, once known as Finch and Mullet, he runs from simulation to simulation, some quite horrifying. Gally, a kid who is neither puppet (part of the program) or citizen (human guest) makes another appearance but fails to recognize Paul from before.
In the "real world", the family and friends of those trapped play out their own dramas. Jeremiah is dismayed with Long Joseph abandons him to see his son who is still in the hospital. Christabel worries for her friend, Mr. Sellers, who has taken Cho-Cho, a scary street boy as his assistant. Catur Ramsey, a lawyer representing the Gardinar and Fredericks families, tracks down leads, including the skittish agent, Beezle Bug, who seems to want to help but cannot do so without his comatose master's permission, and one of the stars of a popular kids show on the net. And in Australia, a detective takes a closed case as a personal challenge and begins to unravel a mystery that may reveal the earliest conquest of a serial killer.
A common theme throughout is the feeling of hopelessness, despair, and perhaps even boredom of both those trapped in Otherland and those in the real world. It's difficult at times to believe that things will get better.
The River of Blue Fire is complex, vivid, and at times scary. The action is intense and hard to predict, which is something I like in a story, and the characters are well-developed and interesting.
On the other hand, this book reminds me of The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien, in that it's a continuation of a story in progress, sort of like a bridge. There is no true beginning or ending, though certain plot elements are resolved along the way. Like Tolkien, the story isn't rushed and in some places seems to linger just a bit too long. The length of the book and the pace may be daunting to those who are unprepared for it. If you have trouble finishing The Lord of the Rings or Battlefield Earth, you might have trouble finishing The Otherland series.
Overall, however, I really liked this story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes epic fantasy, epic sci fi, or the idea of living in a fantastic, yet unpredictable, virtual world.
August 5, 2012
I struggled with this. I finished it, then started the next one. I'm halfway through that, and you know what? I just don't care anymore- I'm going to stop without reading the last book and a half. The thing I like about sci fi is internally consistent worlds that the reader has to work out. This is just page after page of "wouldn't it be cool if" "and then they woke up" rambling.
Over it.
Over it.
September 3, 2007
2nd Otherland book. Great read, better than the first. The meat of the story, and what a story. This man has one of the most vivid, reaching imaginations I have ever encountered. Let's hope he sees into the future again....
June 20, 2017
I had a difficult getting into the first book of this series because of the incredible amount of detail and world building. I was also disappointed by the number of questions left unanswered. Well, the second book reaps the rewards of all the hard work in the first. This book flew by, and while it didn't answer all the questions put forth by the first (and raised several more), it answered enough to keep me interested.
April 26, 2017
Band 2 hat mir nicht ganz so gut wie der erste gefallen, das liegt aber vor allem daran, dass der Leser hier mehr Hintergrundinformationen erhält und die Handlungen langsam voran kommen. Spannend ist das Buch allerdings auch, und es hat auch einige Wendungen.
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte und freue mich auf Band 3
http://sunsys-blog.blogspot.de/2017/0...
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte und freue mich auf Band 3
http://sunsys-blog.blogspot.de/2017/0...
May 13, 2024
Slower paced than the first book, but Tad Williams shows just how far his imagination can go, while maintaining his, at this point, trademark gorgeous prose, impressive methodical plotting, complex characters and deep themes. What a shock... another 5 star Tad Williams book.
December 28, 2014
Audiobook from Penguin Audio
Narrated by George Newbern
Length: 24.5 hours
The sequel to City of Golden Shadow and the 2nd book (of 4) in the Otherland series, River of Blue Fire is a solid "middle book" in the series.
Picking up where City of Golden Shadow left off, this book moved the pieces of all the players in the story without seeming to progress the plot too much. This is a common feature of "middle books" so was expected, though made the reading (listening) slow sometimes. At the point that City of Golden Shadow left off, the "hero" group was somewhat divided, with Renie and Xabbu in one simulation, Orlando and Fredericks in another, and the rest of the "hero" group in yet another sim. Paul Jonas' sim, too, went through a few worlds, separated from the rest of the crew. Much of this book was spent with them still spilt, each learning more about the rules of the simulation world through their experiences in the world. Martine's character, and her disability, were explored in detail in this book, bringing her to the forefront of the third hero group as a main character (to go along with Renie and Orlando). The bad guys also moved, and some of their motives were identified...and the mysterious Sellers, while staying in one (hidden) location, seemed to be doing more to try to help bring down the Otherland.
All in all, there isn't much to say about this book that I didn't say about City of Golden Shadow. I enjoyed this book, though didn't think it was as strong as the first book in the series. In this book, author Tad Williams had some fun with the simulation worlds, making alternate worlds of popular stories such as The War of the Worlds and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was fun to go through the book and try to see what book was referenced (if any) for each sim world. The book was fun and the cyberpunk ideas were interesting, but there was nothing new introduced in this book. The rules were better defined through the course of the plot, but there wasn't a lot of actual progression towards the heroes saving the day (or not).
The audiobook was great to listen to, if the narration was slightly slow. I listened to it slightly sped up (using the 1.5x feature for spoken word playback on my iPhone) and it seemed perfect. The only downside to listening to these books in audio is that now I want the 3rd book in the series, Mountain of Black Glass to come out in audio...I'm not sure when or if it will be done, but I hope that it does come soon so that I can continue listening instead of having to switch to some printed media. Audiobooks are a great way to experience this series (so far).
Narrated by George Newbern
Length: 24.5 hours
The sequel to City of Golden Shadow and the 2nd book (of 4) in the Otherland series, River of Blue Fire is a solid "middle book" in the series.
Picking up where City of Golden Shadow left off, this book moved the pieces of all the players in the story without seeming to progress the plot too much. This is a common feature of "middle books" so was expected, though made the reading (listening) slow sometimes. At the point that City of Golden Shadow left off, the "hero" group was somewhat divided, with Renie and Xabbu in one simulation, Orlando and Fredericks in another, and the rest of the "hero" group in yet another sim. Paul Jonas' sim, too, went through a few worlds, separated from the rest of the crew. Much of this book was spent with them still spilt, each learning more about the rules of the simulation world through their experiences in the world. Martine's character, and her disability, were explored in detail in this book, bringing her to the forefront of the third hero group as a main character (to go along with Renie and Orlando). The bad guys also moved, and some of their motives were identified...and the mysterious Sellers, while staying in one (hidden) location, seemed to be doing more to try to help bring down the Otherland.
All in all, there isn't much to say about this book that I didn't say about City of Golden Shadow. I enjoyed this book, though didn't think it was as strong as the first book in the series. In this book, author Tad Williams had some fun with the simulation worlds, making alternate worlds of popular stories such as The War of the Worlds and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was fun to go through the book and try to see what book was referenced (if any) for each sim world. The book was fun and the cyberpunk ideas were interesting, but there was nothing new introduced in this book. The rules were better defined through the course of the plot, but there wasn't a lot of actual progression towards the heroes saving the day (or not).
The audiobook was great to listen to, if the narration was slightly slow. I listened to it slightly sped up (using the 1.5x feature for spoken word playback on my iPhone) and it seemed perfect. The only downside to listening to these books in audio is that now I want the 3rd book in the series, Mountain of Black Glass to come out in audio...I'm not sure when or if it will be done, but I hope that it does come soon so that I can continue listening instead of having to switch to some printed media. Audiobooks are a great way to experience this series (so far).
December 7, 2018
I'm beginning to convince myself not to continue reading this series due to recognizing the sunk cost fallacy, because at this point I think I need to use logic. I didn't particularly like the first entry in the series because it was somewhat slow in plodding to its eventual end, getting everyone into Otherland.
Having finished the second volume, I am convinced I didn't know what plodding was last time. I could easily confine the salient plot points to 1/4 of the book, while considering the rest mostly filler.
At this point, I would love to have read a tightly woven story following Renie, !Xabbu, Orlando, and Salome through a much more tightly constructed discovery of Otherland and how to deal with and learn the systems they encounter. Add in Paul's plot, and I think you'd have all the sprawling epic you need. Mr. Williams does much, much more than this in a way I think made the first two books much more yawn worthy. Suddenly you have Martine's group, Dreads group, and the continued saga of Cristabel and Mr. Sellars. You have some cops in Australia and a children cartoon actor.
Its just aggravating because I know there is a shiny book in here, but its really kind of dulled once everything else is layered on top of the main threads.
I'm sure in book 4 he weaves all these threads into a ton of pay offs, but the reviews for book 3 are making me want to give up. I can't do another book where 3/4 of the information is just world building and walking around, I want some plot to finally kick into gear and start moving forward.
Having finished the second volume, I am convinced I didn't know what plodding was last time. I could easily confine the salient plot points to 1/4 of the book, while considering the rest mostly filler.
At this point, I would love to have read a tightly woven story following Renie, !Xabbu, Orlando, and Salome through a much more tightly constructed discovery of Otherland and how to deal with and learn the systems they encounter. Add in Paul's plot, and I think you'd have all the sprawling epic you need. Mr. Williams does much, much more than this in a way I think made the first two books much more yawn worthy. Suddenly you have Martine's group, Dreads group, and the continued saga of Cristabel and Mr. Sellars. You have some cops in Australia and a children cartoon actor.
Its just aggravating because I know there is a shiny book in here, but its really kind of dulled once everything else is layered on top of the main threads.
I'm sure in book 4 he weaves all these threads into a ton of pay offs, but the reviews for book 3 are making me want to give up. I can't do another book where 3/4 of the information is just world building and walking around, I want some plot to finally kick into gear and start moving forward.
October 27, 2019
The road goes on forever and the party never ends...
I gave it my best but the second Otherland novel just proved too sprawling and directionless for my tastes. This series has been described not as 4 novels but as a single novel broken up into 4 parts. That's fine when the books are 300 pages long, but with each paperback clocking in around 750 pages, the pacing and characterizations get all jacked up.
Here, our ragtag collection of virtual reality denizens try to unravel the mystery behind the massive Otherland online space and the mysterious Grail Brotherhood that created it. But they get split up and sent to wildly different online worlds, many bordering on the bizarre.
These sub- domains are inventive (there's a prehistoric tribal setting, a Honey-I-Shrunk-The-Kids world, a bizarre version of the Land of Oz, and even a deadly cartoon kitchen.
While inventive, this begins to feel gimmicky as in each world/subplot the basic structure is the same, get from point A to point B and get to the next weird world. Do this several times with several POV characters and it drags.
The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts but The mystery of the Grail Brotherhood and Otherland doesnt get resolved but there are hints that it's a fairly generic "rich people want to live forever" plot device which is disappointing and not enough to keep me interested.
I gave it my best but the second Otherland novel just proved too sprawling and directionless for my tastes. This series has been described not as 4 novels but as a single novel broken up into 4 parts. That's fine when the books are 300 pages long, but with each paperback clocking in around 750 pages, the pacing and characterizations get all jacked up.
Here, our ragtag collection of virtual reality denizens try to unravel the mystery behind the massive Otherland online space and the mysterious Grail Brotherhood that created it. But they get split up and sent to wildly different online worlds, many bordering on the bizarre.
These sub- domains are inventive (there's a prehistoric tribal setting, a Honey-I-Shrunk-The-Kids world, a bizarre version of the Land of Oz, and even a deadly cartoon kitchen.
While inventive, this begins to feel gimmicky as in each world/subplot the basic structure is the same, get from point A to point B and get to the next weird world. Do this several times with several POV characters and it drags.
The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts but The mystery of the Grail Brotherhood and Otherland doesnt get resolved but there are hints that it's a fairly generic "rich people want to live forever" plot device which is disappointing and not enough to keep me interested.
February 17, 2010
The second book in the Otherland series again makes clear that Tad Williams is in no hurry. He will spin his tale out in his good time, so if you are heading for the beach for a week, I recommend this series. Williams does many surprising things in this novel, which keeps it interesting. For one thing, he adds to his already immense cast of characters and story lines, pulling in peripheral characters and developing them in a workman-like way, adding perspectives and really having fun with the world he has created. Secondly, he takes a group of characters, four of which you are invested in and five you essentially know nothing about. Traditionally, you'd think the other five would be used to reflect back on the characters we know. Instead, Williams splits them up exactly along those lines, leaving five ciphers together, and creates a murder mystery with them. It seemed as if he were going to spin out this mystery across the remaining three books - but he resolves it in this one. Challenging stale narrative forms in the way he is doing here requires a pretty deft touch, and Williams handles it nicely.
The characters are again more a means to showcase the worlds he imagines - in this world where nearly anything imaginable is possible. Quite a nice read.
The characters are again more a means to showcase the worlds he imagines - in this world where nearly anything imaginable is possible. Quite a nice read.
August 5, 2017
This book was a tough one to settle on a star rating for me. I will admit that in the beginning there where some elements of it that I enjoyed more than others. However, as the story continued it came together in a really wonderful way. Which made me feel silly for not enjoying some of the earlier bits as much. Plus, all of the book was a very cool wild ride, and I found myself really enjoying listening to the audiobook of this book while reading along in my physical copy. The audio book of is pretty great. In the end I realized that this 2nd book in the series was great too. I just needed to trust the story. So even though I would say my overall rating of this first reading of River of Blue Fire would be something like a 4.75 stars I'm going to round up to 5 because I think if/when I reread it again I would give it 5 stars. Definitely going to continue on with the series because I must know how the story turns out.
December 19, 2021
Yes, well.... I mean, I enjoyed the writing, and some of the journey.
However most of this book is unnecessary; just a succession of separated characters having mini-adventures that don't actually advance the plot at all.
It seems the events of the first half of the book could have been written in a couple of chapters, and the second half in not many more. The story, character development and events of an almost-700 page book could have been conveyed in a hundred or so pages.
Okay it's book two of a series, but there is little character development from most of the protagonists, and little story that really only starts to move in the last few chapters. I'm going to look at reviews for the 3rd instalment before i invest more time into this series. If the next one is much of the same, i don't know if i can do it, which is a shame, as the actual story and characters are interesting, and I am enjoying Williams' 90s take on the cyber age.
However most of this book is unnecessary; just a succession of separated characters having mini-adventures that don't actually advance the plot at all.
It seems the events of the first half of the book could have been written in a couple of chapters, and the second half in not many more. The story, character development and events of an almost-700 page book could have been conveyed in a hundred or so pages.
Okay it's book two of a series, but there is little character development from most of the protagonists, and little story that really only starts to move in the last few chapters. I'm going to look at reviews for the 3rd instalment before i invest more time into this series. If the next one is much of the same, i don't know if i can do it, which is a shame, as the actual story and characters are interesting, and I am enjoying Williams' 90s take on the cyber age.
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