thebernie's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know where to start with this book. It was good yet unsatisfying like all middle novels. It presented many twists and unforseen turns leaving the reader asking how and why. The final chapter in this series will have to be amazing to close all the open loops within this gigantic story.
kodermike's review against another edition
3.0
Distance and bad memory lured me to the second book on a used bookstore binge trip - I'd forgotten that I didn't enjoy the first one that much. In that ranking scale, I enjoyed this book much more, though I was still reminded of the Seven Suns Saga a lot.
moorelaborate's review against another edition
3.0
Where the first felt so large, always expanding ideas, characters, and places this one felt so small. Characters needing to move plot and constantly crossing paths in a universe of trillions, while never really changing their mind or learning.
Maybe I missed these problems in the first or missed the depth of this second one, but while it was still a fun space opera, the story is not as original as I thought.
Maybe I missed these problems in the first or missed the depth of this second one, but while it was still a fun space opera, the story is not as original as I thought.
bent's review against another edition
3.0
Similar to the first book in this trilogy, the story itself is entertaining enough, but the overall concept is a little hard to follow. I find it a big mess, with several sides vying for supremacy, and I don't really understand how they all interact. But if you can ignore the big picture and just concentrate on the story, it's entertaining. There are a couple of slow spots, but overall, it moves fairly quickly.
sfian's review
2.0
(Two and a half stars)
Is anybody else reading this and, in places, thinking "Ewoks"? I certainly am.
I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the first, mainly because I can't get straight in my head what everybody is doing, what their "missions" are and, being honest, much of what is actually going on. All the characters are splintered across the galaxy, some seeming (to me) to be not doing much to further the story. And it's a story that feels like it should be epic, but isn't coming across that way.
Still, I stuck with it and I will finish this trilogy. I will, dammit!
Is anybody else reading this and, in places, thinking "Ewoks"? I certainly am.
I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the first, mainly because I can't get straight in my head what everybody is doing, what their "missions" are and, being honest, much of what is actually going on. All the characters are splintered across the galaxy, some seeming (to me) to be not doing much to further the story. And it's a story that feels like it should be epic, but isn't coming across that way.
Still, I stuck with it and I will finish this trilogy. I will, dammit!
dcunning11235's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this more than I did, but all I can honestly give it is two stars. The first book was better, though still not great; the writing there was clunky, here in the second book it is grinding the gears.
Now I'm two books in and I know I'm going to read the third, just to finish. I have a weakness for hard sci-fi and space opera and the like... so fingers crossed.
Now I'm two books in and I know I'm going to read the third, just to finish. I have a weakness for hard sci-fi and space opera and the like... so fingers crossed.
tachyondecay's review
3.0
It has been almost two years since I read the first book in this series, and nearly a year since I bought books 2 and 3! I’m very glad Michael Cobley includes a brief synopsis of the first book; it helped with my terrible recall. The Orphaned Worlds is probably better than Seeds of Earth in terms of both story and organization. As with the first book, there were elements that made me want to dislike this book, but I just couldn’t. It’s unabashedly fun space opera with AI elements reminiscent of Iain M. Banks and complex, nefarious interstellar schemes reminiscent of John Scalzi. All in all, it’s a pretty good time. As usual, spoilers for the first book but not so much for this one.
There is no middle book syndrome here. The Orphaned Worlds gets to profit from all the groundwork the first book had to spend setting up. So Robert Horst is already on his intense mission “deep into hyperspace” for the Construct; Greg is still fighting a guerrilla war on Darien; Kao Chih soon has a chance to return to his people, and so on. Multiple storylines intersect, converging and diverging in interesting ways that remind us that this universe of Cobley’s making is incredibly intricate and interconnected. The Sendrukans’ and Brolturans’ presence in Darien has multiple levels, as we discover when Kuros receives a visit from a superior whose orders don’t quite make sense…. And then there is the race against time, with the Knight of the Legion of Avatars freed from its deep sea prison and slowly lumbering towards Darien and the warpwell it wants to use to free its masters.
This series reminds me a little of A Song of Ice and Fire, just because there are so many POV characters. Each chapter is titled with a character’s name, and it follows them for a little, before the next chapter jumps to another character. Cobley is a little shyer about killing off main characters—then again, compared to GRRM, who isn’t? A few characters get some development, but one of my critiques of this book would simply be that for all the plot that happens, the characters change precious little. Theo, Greg, Kao Chih, etc., spend too much time running around to stop and process the friends they are losing and the way the balance of power has shifted. Hopefully we get a lull in book 3 that will make up for it.
Characterization troubles aside, though, Cobley does a remarkable job of balancing the sheer number of subplots. I mentioned a handful of them above, and there are still more. It seems like there’s a subplot for everyone: millennia-old AI shenanigans, alien–human politics, human–human politics … it’s all here, and it’s all connected. So even while some of the plots (like Greg on Darien) didn’t hold my interest, and while I found others more confusing (I’m still not sure I understand this whole “levels of hyperspace” thing), there was still plenty for me to enjoy. I particularly liked it when the Roug showed up and kicked some Ezgaran ass just because those Ezgara were so cocky. Likewise, I love that despite the very powerful assistance many of our protagonists have, they come close to defeat several times.
As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Cobley doesn’t so much advance new ideas as recombine old ones. That’s still the case here. There are some great philosophical themes surrounding the nature of consciousness and selfhood, particularly when it comes to Horst’s journey, or Catriona’s relationship with Segrana. Cobley doesn’t manage to present these ideas in new or exciting ways that make me think a lot on them, but it was nice to see him develop them within the context of this story. The Orphaned Worlds reminds me a little of The Expanse in that it could be a good SyFy series: perhaps not the most groundbreaking use of science fiction, but a great “smart” form of entertainment.
At the end of the day, when a book this long keeps you turning pages, other complaints don’t matter: it’s a good read. Definitely going to pick up the third book more quickly than I did this one!
My reviews of the Humanity's Fire series:
← Seeds of Earth | The Ascendant Stars →
There is no middle book syndrome here. The Orphaned Worlds gets to profit from all the groundwork the first book had to spend setting up. So Robert Horst is already on his intense mission “deep into hyperspace” for the Construct; Greg is still fighting a guerrilla war on Darien; Kao Chih soon has a chance to return to his people, and so on. Multiple storylines intersect, converging and diverging in interesting ways that remind us that this universe of Cobley’s making is incredibly intricate and interconnected. The Sendrukans’ and Brolturans’ presence in Darien has multiple levels, as we discover when Kuros receives a visit from a superior whose orders don’t quite make sense…. And then there is the race against time, with the Knight of the Legion of Avatars freed from its deep sea prison and slowly lumbering towards Darien and the warpwell it wants to use to free its masters.
This series reminds me a little of A Song of Ice and Fire, just because there are so many POV characters. Each chapter is titled with a character’s name, and it follows them for a little, before the next chapter jumps to another character. Cobley is a little shyer about killing off main characters—then again, compared to GRRM, who isn’t? A few characters get some development, but one of my critiques of this book would simply be that for all the plot that happens, the characters change precious little. Theo, Greg, Kao Chih, etc., spend too much time running around to stop and process the friends they are losing and the way the balance of power has shifted. Hopefully we get a lull in book 3 that will make up for it.
Characterization troubles aside, though, Cobley does a remarkable job of balancing the sheer number of subplots. I mentioned a handful of them above, and there are still more. It seems like there’s a subplot for everyone: millennia-old AI shenanigans, alien–human politics, human–human politics … it’s all here, and it’s all connected. So even while some of the plots (like Greg on Darien) didn’t hold my interest, and while I found others more confusing (I’m still not sure I understand this whole “levels of hyperspace” thing), there was still plenty for me to enjoy. I particularly liked it when the Roug showed up and kicked some Ezgaran ass just because those Ezgara were so cocky. Likewise, I love that despite the very powerful assistance many of our protagonists have, they come close to defeat several times.
As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Cobley doesn’t so much advance new ideas as recombine old ones. That’s still the case here. There are some great philosophical themes surrounding the nature of consciousness and selfhood, particularly when it comes to Horst’s journey, or Catriona’s relationship with Segrana. Cobley doesn’t manage to present these ideas in new or exciting ways that make me think a lot on them, but it was nice to see him develop them within the context of this story. The Orphaned Worlds reminds me a little of The Expanse in that it could be a good SyFy series: perhaps not the most groundbreaking use of science fiction, but a great “smart” form of entertainment.
At the end of the day, when a book this long keeps you turning pages, other complaints don’t matter: it’s a good read. Definitely going to pick up the third book more quickly than I did this one!
My reviews of the Humanity's Fire series:
← Seeds of Earth | The Ascendant Stars →
worldsinink's review
3.0
While I ended up enjoying this, I struggled with the pacing. There are some brilliant ideas at work here with a complex array of cultures and alien civilizations engaged in a struggle to take control of Darien and the technology it holds. The pacing just seemed off. As soon as I was drawn in the viewpoint would switch, diminishing the tension and flow of the story. It's only in the last third of the novel when things starting ramping up that the story became truly engaging. The ending is satisfying, but is largely used to set up the groundwork for the next installment. I'm still interested enough to want to see where this is going.
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