charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoying this series. The characters are a little 2-dimensional, but the world and the characters' abilities are so deeply thought out, that it's OK. Mildly sexist book.
mikethepysch's review against another edition
4.0
Man. If only he could write female characters, this series would be exponentially better...
greyhuigris's review against another edition
3.0
Slightly disappointed by the follow-up to On A Pale Horse. I think that the book is too slow in creating the character, and Norton as the protagonist is slightly daft, and not all that likeable either. This entry in the Incarnations series makes me doubt the foundations of this universe, such as if these Incarnations are supposedly neutral in the war between Good and Evil, God and Satan, why then have all the Incarnations banded on the side of Good against Satan, attempting to balk him at every turn? I will still give With A Tangled Skein a chance though, hoping for a step up from this one.
jaredrlopatin's review against another edition
4.0
A great second book, but could be mildly confusing at times.
colorcrystals's review against another edition
3.0
I found some things in this book a little hard to wrap my head around. The whole living backwards thing was a little confusing. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading it. It wasn't nearly on the level of On a Pale Horse, but still good.
moonny's review against another edition
2.0
Re-reading this after ~ 15 years, whole series, and Chronos is still a mess for me, no matter master degree from IT and other sometimes difficult books (for complex understanding) read...
The beginning before Chronos office is nice and good, but when he starts to travel thanks to Satan, it's just... mess for me. I love Thanatos, Chronos is still mess even after 15 years. Before, I liked Clotho, wasn't able to finish Mars and liked Gaea. The last 3 books were never translated to my native language, so that's a big question mark for me.
I just cannot accept this world of Chronos. I'm sorry for that as the concept of the series is very very good and it has/had big potential...
The beginning before Chronos office is nice and good, but when he starts to travel thanks to Satan, it's just... mess for me. I love Thanatos, Chronos is still mess even after 15 years. Before, I liked Clotho, wasn't able to finish Mars and liked Gaea. The last 3 books were never translated to my native language, so that's a big question mark for me.
I just cannot accept this world of Chronos. I'm sorry for that as the concept of the series is very very good and it has/had big potential...
pinkguin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
wdkilpackiii's review against another edition
5.0
As the second in the series of the Incarnations of Immortality, I wasn't sure how Time in Bearing an Hourglass could be of the same level of significance as Death. For one thing, how could it be as interesting? Although I am a big Piers Anthony fan, I was worried that it was going to be something along the lines of watching paint dry. That was certainly not the case. The idea of Time is not just the passage of it, or even categories to better understand our experience, but Space-Time, where time ensures your place in the cosmos. It was one of the headier reads from Anthony, showing more of an intellectual side to his writing without needing an encyclopedia nearby to understand, and still very entertaining. The catch when Norton takes on the role of Chronos (Time) is both heart felt and well thought out. The aspect of immortality being as much a curse as a blessing (a theme in the series, it seems) is strong while, at the same time, remaining thoughtful. Highly recommended!
jeremiah042's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
mokey81's review against another edition
1.0
This was my second time through this book. I usually skip it. I tried reading it after book 6 to see if it would help, but it didn't. Apparently, Time is too much for me to comprehend. I still just can't comprehend where this Time comes in to the overall story.
I can't stand this book. It makes my brain hurt trying to understand how Time must live his life as an Incarnation. I can't understand it.
I can't stand this book. It makes my brain hurt trying to understand how Time must live his life as an Incarnation. I can't understand it.