Reviews

A Meeting at Corvalis by S.M. Stirling

norma_cenva's review against another edition

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4.0

It's a lot better the second time around!

lizinthelibrary's review against another edition

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3.0

Liking this series less with each book. I liked the theory of the change but the endless battles, the adoration of the main characters (who are all impossibly beautiful and talented) and all of that is wearing on me. It seems a bit too much like a fantasy designed for SCA re-enactors and Wiccans to celebrate how amazing they all could be, in a different world. Less interesting character studies.

Still finished it. Doubt I'll get the next one.

kegriese1's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

3.5

infinitebynature's review against another edition

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2.0

DNF: booo I made it half way and to be honest I wasn't hating it but this book has given me the worst reader's block ever. Well written and over-explained I just could not stay engaged and honestly I've been stuck on it since January (I read like 65 books last year so this is suuuper unusual for me); I didn't want to give up on it because I love the premise and I'm still so keen to find out how this whole fucking thing happened (if they ever find it out I don't know)

Anyway, I tried.

giantsdancefarm's review against another edition

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3.0

Still liking the series, definitely still liking the characters, though the loss of one in this book is a bummer. But this book is almost entirely war and battles. It's been building to this, so not unexpected, but I'm not as interested in an entire book of battles. But I'm on to book 4 in the series next.

stelepami's review against another edition

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Just, why? Why am I still listening to these? The next time my library app suggests another one I am ignoring it.

larisa2021's review against another edition

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5.0

Made me cry, and stay up far later than I thought still possible to finish.

annettewolf's review against another edition

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4.0

As the third book in the first trilogy, you expect the stakes to be raised. War, definitely. Probably some of the characters we know and love dying. Political intrigue, more fun weapons and farming hacks from these people still adapting to a changed world.

I was a little disappointed at first when everything seemed to jump around a bit. There are a lot of storylines here that all have to converge together, and thankfully Stirling does a pretty good job juggling them. It’s a far cry from the first book, which made you fall in love with Mike and with Juney. But all the players in this third book are important, and the different plot lines converge in an epic climax.

There is a nice sort of interlude at times, when we’re following Rudi Mackenzie. His scenes are less action-packed—three or four characters at once instead of everyone on a battlefield fighting a war. It makes sense, having read the next trilogy, that Stirling would want to take time to develop Rudi and get readers interested in him. He’s a fun character, and I like him while he’s still a kid in this first trilogy, full of a pure, childlike wisdom that makes him intriguing.

A Meeting at Corvallis is an epic finish to the Mike/Juney storylines, so if they are the only reason you’re reading the books you probably don’t want to move on to read The Sunrise Lands. If, however, you love Rudi Mackenzie and want to see a lot more of him, you should read what they dub the Emberverse II books (sort of a sequel series to the initial trilogy). If you like Stirling’s writing, it’s worth it to keep reading the books. And if you’re Pagan, it’s even more worth it. Rudi lives his Paganism in a way that Juniper Mackenzie could only dream of, since Rudi was born into a world where Paganism was one of the major religions, except an eccentric oddball religion that many people considered cult-like.

This and other reviews by me can be found at www.annaimber.com

angielisle's review against another edition

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3.0

Slow-paced but interesting ideas.

thekingbee's review against another edition

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3.0

Finally the war with the Protector, has kind of a "I don't know if its finished by i want to done writing it" feeling to the conclusion.