Reviews

River of Blue Fire, by Tad Williams

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rhganci's review against another edition

3.0

Well, really REALLY good seems better to describe the potential that Otherland has, but the second volume of the quartet was a bit underwhelming. Every time Marissa asked me how my book was, I replied with something very middle-of-the-road: “it’s all right”; “it’s pretty good”; “it’s okay.” There were, at a few junctures, flashes of brilliance and the kind of fun telling a story in this type of setting typically indicates. Unfortunately, those scenes came toward the beginning and middle of the book, and not really at the end, which just seemed to pass over some mysteries, addressing them only haphazardly. Highlights include the flight from the giant mantis in the bug-world (when the mantis just decides to bypass the staircase all together and climb up the center column around which the stairs wrap was far scanny, if I’m using that term correctly), the first few minutes of Paul’s trip to the Venetian carnival, and the subsequent flight from the carnival, though all that did was create more confusion by adding more powers to the already nebulous Citizens already populating the network. The romance between Vaala (or Penelope, or the bird-woman) has taken a hiatus, and was barely mentioned if at all. Though by having that pairing step into the role of husband-wife, Williams may have kept that fire alive, but romance in Otherland seems to be outside the author’s storytelling scheme. Orlando is finally realizing that Fredericks is a female, the scene in which he makes the connection that half-naked Fredericks = half-naked girl worked pretty well without being creepily homoerotic. As a whole, however, the book really lacked the plot that the first one did, and seemed more about showing the reader what kinds of freaked-out things people would do with virtual reality rather than getting to the crux of answering the question of “What the heck is going on with the Grail Brotherhood ganking children from RL?” That’s the question I have, the one that I want answered, and everything else, though entertaining, is just not that engaging.

beccajreads's review against another edition

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4.0

It may be full of filler material and it may be incredibly long and it certianly witholds giving the reader any answers, but I think that is what makes this book/series so great. There's just SO much stuff going on, so many things that are possible because of the net, and Williams is showing us just how complex this world is.

I mean, sure it would have been nice to get a few more answers or links between certian events and characters, but it doesn't take away from the brilliance of the book. As with the first book the writing is excellent.

And I did enjoy exploring the different simulations, especially when they reference other books/films that I like!

erikars's review against another edition

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This book, volume two of the Otherland series, is set almost exclusively in the Otherland network. It would probably be a great book for someone who likes to read descriptions about different worlds where characters have interesting, but largely non-plot-moving or character-developing adventures, and I did enjoy it. However, I eventually started to get a little tired of it (the book is 675 pages). If you divide fiction into the four rough categories of character developing, plot developing, idea developing, and place developing I tend to prefer them in that order. That said, the end of the book started getting good; there was character development and plot!

tmobil's review against another edition

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4.0

Favorite Quotes

She had to find her own story, and she could make it whatever shape she thought best.

blacksentai's review against another edition

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3.0

There's a lot of problems with this book. Some racism some sexism a lot of attempts at liberalism. it'd be cool if Romani weren't treated the way they are. Every moment with dread is awful. I get it tad, you can write scary rapist brown dudes. its actually unreadable.
edit: that actually hasn't changed at all. I forgot I even wrote this review. all I'll add is that until the end of the 4th book dread is totally unimportant to the plot so you can skip all of his scenes.