Reviews with content warning for War - Les Oiseaux du temps

Reviews tagging 'War'

Les Oiseaux du temps by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

486 reviews

sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I’m sorry. I know from all the reviews this is a much beloved book but it just wasn’t for me. I had high expectations: initially when I saw this book floating around I thought it was nonfiction due to the title and cover. After realizing it’s fiction and about time travelers falling in love, I was excited! Unfortunately, the writing was too sparse and I did not feel much for the characters, making it made it a very difficult read.

I think my biggest issue might be my disinterest in science fiction. I am always trying to reach outside my comfort zone and read genres I may not consider. In this case, the characters were so science fiction they didn’t feel human, although I think that was the point? I think? I genuinely don’t know if they were supposed to be nonhuman or just futuristic humans.

I really struggled with the writing. There were some very beautiful sentences but it was not cohesive and felt confusing. This also made me sad because normally I love wordy books and reading between the lines, but here I just felt frustrated because I didn’t feel any sense of a plot. Again, maybe it’s just not my cup of tea, but the fact that there was so much time jumping between letters and points in their lives didn’t help me see how their relationship developed over time (this is ironic for a time traveler story, I know).

Overall, I would recommend this to fans of science fiction and queer literature. Maybe only people I am acquainted with, though, I don’t think I could ever recommend this to a friend.

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ebp's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

ellen1196's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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fabell6's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

This was another slow burn story. I found it confusing and repetitive initially. As it progressed I found an emotional connection with the characters that made me not want to put the book down. Sci fi is not my favorite genre to read; I prefer to watch sci fi movies or shows to see a concrete representation of what someone imagined. This book was a stretch to read and imagine, but it became a satisfying read. A nice change from my comfort zone of genre, to read a sci fi thriller, but at its core is the kind of hopeful story I love of people finding and making meaning out of life and love.

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leannanecdote's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

crazymaplady's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I loved this book by the end; I was invested in the relationship between Red and Blue and all of the writing, especially the letters, were beautiful. I was also a big fan of the ending.

However, it took me FOREVER to get into this book and I spent almost the first half thinking I was too stupid for it. I didn’t really understand what was going on and I think the early world-building was far too limited.

I think I’d enjoy it more with a re-read now I’ve gained some more context.

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