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billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Does exactly what it says on the cover, which is all I hoped and wanted from it. Crichton is just so good at this stuff—he takes scientific principles and theories, converts them into vehicles for his sandbox-style imagination, and does so while explaining the science in ways that make the reader feel included in the inevitable epiphanies. As a Crichton book, though, it does suffer from some shallow characterizations, especially when it comes to the handful of women in the cast of characters. It's never outright offensive, but the stereotypes are unfortunate.
If you can let the time-travel shenanigans do their thing and go along for the ride, though, there's great fun to be had. Crichton's prose is as solid as ever and strikes an ideal balance between description and momentum. There's rarely a dull moment to speak of. Even though the characters are immensely forgettable, they're just likable enough to get the job done, especially when Crichton leans into the inherent silliness of his "fish out of water" premise. You can see where the story is going from the jump, but the secret to Crichton's success has never been the unpredictability of his plotting. Instead, it's his knack for turning familiar genre trappings into fun "summer blockbusters" that makes him one of those authors I'm always happy to pick up. This was a great start to my summer reading!
If you can let the time-travel shenanigans do their thing and go along for the ride, though, there's great fun to be had. Crichton's prose is as solid as ever and strikes an ideal balance between description and momentum. There's rarely a dull moment to speak of. Even though the characters are immensely forgettable, they're just likable enough to get the job done, especially when Crichton leans into the inherent silliness of his "fish out of water" premise. You can see where the story is going from the jump, but the secret to Crichton's success has never been the unpredictability of his plotting. Instead, it's his knack for turning familiar genre trappings into fun "summer blockbusters" that makes him one of those authors I'm always happy to pick up. This was a great start to my summer reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Rape and Pandemic/Epidemic
dunecello's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Super fun read. I love how so many of our assumptions about the Middle Ages are challenged here. Yeah there are plot holes, inconsistent logic, clichés, but I had a great time reading and that's what matters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and War
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Torture, and Pandemic/Epidemic
cj13's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
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