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anteus7's review against another edition
4.0
I have always liked time travel done well, and it is done well here. Done well, to me, means that everything is all messed up because people are stupid and don't think of things like highly intelligent and motivated Vikings who could conceivably learn to drive a truck.
I had forgotten that Neal Stephenson co-wrote this one with Nicole Galland, so there were a few things, stylistically, that threw me off at first. That is not to say that I didn't like the writing, I just didn't expect some of the historical romance overtones. It was fun to try and guess whose ideas went where, though. I am thinking that I will have to read some of Galland's solo work. Also, there are more books in the D.O.D.O. universe for me to check out, so yay!
I had forgotten that Neal Stephenson co-wrote this one with Nicole Galland, so there were a few things, stylistically, that threw me off at first. That is not to say that I didn't like the writing, I just didn't expect some of the historical romance overtones. It was fun to try and guess whose ideas went where, though. I am thinking that I will have to read some of Galland's solo work. Also, there are more books in the D.O.D.O. universe for me to check out, so yay!
chrisccarlson's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the premise of this book but wow it was long. I didn't know how many pages it was because I read it on my kindle. It took forever to make a dent in the percentage. The ending was compelling enough to get me through it but did it really need to be that long?
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
3.0
slogged through this Honestly by the end I didn't care. This has taken me ages to finish and if it wasn't for a flu and determination I'd have a sneaking suspicion this would never have been finished.
I've seen a lot of reviews where people either love it or dislike it, very little middle ground on this one (so if you're reading it and you're meh about it, just move on)
Basic plot is a medieval linguist recruited into a secret government organisation who work with witches to do time travel and when they annoy the wrong person it all goes very pear shaped.
It's clever but I just didn't feel a lot of joy in reading it, more I wanted it to be done.
I've seen a lot of reviews where people either love it or dislike it, very little middle ground on this one (so if you're reading it and you're meh about it, just move on)
Basic plot is a medieval linguist recruited into a secret government organisation who work with witches to do time travel and when they annoy the wrong person it all goes very pear shaped.
It's clever but I just didn't feel a lot of joy in reading it, more I wanted it to be done.
paulc17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
saneyossarian's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
harmonictempest's review against another edition
3.0
I really should have liked this book more; the premise was great, the plot was interesting, it’s exactly the kind of book I usually like, and I like the author.
There was something about the way they approached it as a govt agency that really didn’t work for me and I can’t quickly pinpoint why. I think it might have been that attempting to focus on telling the story through the lens of govt employees and stylized official documents made the plot feel stilted when I would have preferred it be more character-focused. I felt like I was slogging through to hear the rest of the plot because it was hard to stay connected to the main characters.
There was something about the way they approached it as a govt agency that really didn’t work for me and I can’t quickly pinpoint why. I think it might have been that attempting to focus on telling the story through the lens of govt employees and stylized official documents made the plot feel stilted when I would have preferred it be more character-focused. I felt like I was slogging through to hear the rest of the plot because it was hard to stay connected to the main characters.
toc's review against another edition
4.0
Another masterful book by Mr. Stephenson. Enough hard science, high tech, and geekiness for the average fan and enough other stuff for the dedicated fan. A good bit of Anathem mixed with a good bit of the Baroque Cycle. Hard to tell if it's quantum SF, historical fiction that can't settle down, or a near-real life documentation of SNAFU. Read it and figure it our for yourself.
And so ably abetted by Ms. Galland! This is literary teamwork of a high order. I don't know how they ran across each other but readers will be glad they did. Reading this work has introduced me to another author whose works I plan on devouring.
And so ably abetted by Ms. Galland! This is literary teamwork of a high order. I don't know how they ran across each other but readers will be glad they did. Reading this work has introduced me to another author whose works I plan on devouring.
supraluminal's review against another edition
5.0
I devoured this book! I really enjoyed the writing style of the authors where different sections of the novel might be a journal entry, or a series of emails, a military-style after action report, a letter from one character to another, or even a Viking saga.
It really reminded me at the start of Stargate SG-1, in that it was a secret government organization finding its way. The novel then morphed more and more into a spy thriller. It does time travel wonderfully as well and does a great job at explaining the why and how to remain plausible. Really good world (worlds?) building too!
I am going right into the sequel Masters of the Revels! Hopefully Erzsebet finally gets to go back to Hungary to spit on the graves of her enemies!
It really reminded me at the start of Stargate SG-1, in that it was a secret government organization finding its way. The novel then morphed more and more into a spy thriller. It does time travel wonderfully as well and does a great job at explaining the why and how to remain plausible. Really good world (worlds?) building too!
I am going right into the sequel Masters of the Revels! Hopefully Erzsebet finally gets to go back to Hungary to spit on the graves of her enemies!
authormargi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
michelleskup's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0