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tasharobinson's review
2.0
As many have pointed out, Neil Gaiman didn't write this book, he helped develop the world it's set in. It's pretty easy to tell from the prose, which is largely blunt and serviceable YA-fiction writing rather than his more languid, poetic style. It's hard to tell from the book cover, which has his name on it in huge letters, "story by" in tiny print, and the actual authors' names also in small print. So buyer beware and all that.
This book is what Ernie Cline's Armada would be like without all the pop-culture riffing and daddy issues — similar light tone and focus on action, similarly blank audience-avatar protagonist, similar relationship dynamic with the Cool Girl Out Of Nowhere. It's the second in a series, but it explains what happened in the first book so often that I'm glad I haven't read it, because the recaps would have gotten a bit annoying.
The premise here is interesting — the protagonist, Joe, is part of an organization made up entirely of radically different versions of himself from other worlds with different magical or technological rules, so there's an avian version of him, and a cyborg, and a high-grav monster, and a winged angel-type, and a hundred others, who vary in gender and personality, but all have some baseline Joe-ness. And they're fighting a high-tech Skynet-type organization on one end of the spectrum, and its evil high-magic equivalent on the other end, across a zillion alternate worlds. But so much of this book was a blur of movie action, just imagistic running and falling and shooting and fighting and Sudden Reveals And Reversals that it never digs into the characters much, and there just isn't much to Joe in particular except insecurity and guilt. This would make a hell of an RPG setting (although Monte Cook's The Strange is at least halfway there already), but it feels a bit wasted on a book this airy, that feels this much like a TV precis rather than a novel.
This book is what Ernie Cline's Armada would be like without all the pop-culture riffing and daddy issues — similar light tone and focus on action, similarly blank audience-avatar protagonist, similar relationship dynamic with the Cool Girl Out Of Nowhere. It's the second in a series, but it explains what happened in the first book so often that I'm glad I haven't read it, because the recaps would have gotten a bit annoying.
The premise here is interesting — the protagonist, Joe, is part of an organization made up entirely of radically different versions of himself from other worlds with different magical or technological rules, so there's an avian version of him, and a cyborg, and a high-grav monster, and a winged angel-type, and a hundred others, who vary in gender and personality, but all have some baseline Joe-ness. And they're fighting a high-tech Skynet-type organization on one end of the spectrum, and its evil high-magic equivalent on the other end, across a zillion alternate worlds. But so much of this book was a blur of movie action, just imagistic running and falling and shooting and fighting and Sudden Reveals And Reversals that it never digs into the characters much, and there just isn't much to Joe in particular except insecurity and guilt. This would make a hell of an RPG setting (although Monte Cook's The Strange is at least halfway there already), but it feels a bit wasted on a book this airy, that feels this much like a TV precis rather than a novel.
kindlereads's review against another edition
2.0
It was good but dissapointing. It felt like a build up to more books, like the second Matrix movie was a build up to the last Matrix movie. It was boring and for the first secton, mid way it started to get more interesting. By the end of the book I was fully engaged and then it ended very abruptly. I was dissapointed that there didn't seem to be any real conclusion to the story.
writermaguire's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
laurel1985's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
roadtripreader's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.0
Rocky start and a Redeeming Third Act
The writing style changed in this installment of the series. Not enough to be jarring but enough to be noticeable. It felt like this Joey Harker was one from a different Earth and not the one from Interworld book 1 and Gaiman just forgot to mention it. Sounded the same in many ways but it felt a little choppy and at times a teenie tiny bit juvenile (I mean he's supposed to be 16 years old but comes off as a 12 year old more often than not.). It felt lessGaimanesque than the first one - could this be Michael Reaves voice? I don't know. I don't dislike it but I didn't love it.
There are a few missions mentioned in passing that should have been elaborated on. Of the top of my head, the senior officers heading of to a Hex world to rescue a Walker. In order to properly morn the Walker who dies, It would have been better to experience a mission with the walker because the character got so little page time in this installment.
Plot/Storyline: -1 The saboteur storyline I thought would come out in Book 1 actually takes place here and it's done well. But then a couple of things take place and it's a rinse-repeat of the first book with minor differences.
Characters: -1 The characters I had previously loved in the first book are forgettable in the second book which is saying something seeing as there page-time has decreased significantly. The new characters introduced are a shade of annoying (Acacia) and Glossed over (read character list page).
Favorite scene: I wish the first two acts of this book had been in the same stratosphere as the first - not the pacing but something was missing or just off/different about the writing. Great Scene: the perilous training exercise comes to mind aa not a favorite but the scene that finally tipped the scales in whether Interworld was still Interworld. Another sabotage, another death and Joey Harker at the center of it all. But lo and behold, it tipped right into an exhilarating final act.
Favorite Quote/Concept: Still Hue - he/it/creature ...mudluff
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025 / Top 22 Male Authors
Challenge Prompt: 150 Scifi books and Neil Gaiman Series or Standalone
The writing style changed in this installment of the series. Not enough to be jarring but enough to be noticeable. It felt like this Joey Harker was one from a different Earth and not the one from Interworld book 1 and Gaiman just forgot to mention it. Sounded the same in many ways but it felt a little choppy and at times a teenie tiny bit juvenile (I mean he's supposed to be 16 years old but comes off as a 12 year old more often than not.). It felt lessGaimanesque than the first one - could this be Michael Reaves voice? I don't know. I don't dislike it but I didn't love it.
There are a few missions mentioned in passing that should have been elaborated on. Of the top of my head, the senior officers heading of to a Hex world to rescue a Walker. In order to properly morn the Walker who dies, It would have been better to experience a mission with the walker because the character got so little page time in this installment.
Plot/Storyline: -1 The saboteur storyline I thought would come out in Book 1 actually takes place here and it's done well. But then a couple of things take place and it's a rinse-repeat of the first book with minor differences.
Characters: -1 The characters I had previously loved in the first book are forgettable in the second book which is saying something seeing as there page-time has decreased significantly. The new characters introduced are a shade of annoying (Acacia) and Glossed over (read character list page).
Favorite scene: I wish the first two acts of this book had been in the same stratosphere as the first - not the pacing but something was missing or just off/different about the writing. Great Scene: the perilous training exercise comes to mind aa not a favorite but the scene that finally tipped the scales in whether Interworld was still Interworld. Another sabotage, another death and Joey Harker at the center of it all. But lo and behold, it tipped right into an exhilarating final act.
Favorite Quote/Concept: Still Hue - he/it/creature ...mudluff
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025 / Top 22 Male Authors
Challenge Prompt: 150 Scifi books and Neil Gaiman Series or Standalone
henriklukee's review against another edition
3.0
First part of a new storyline. Not so good as the first book but I'll have to see about the next part.
sylectra's review against another edition
4.0
A satisfying adventure in the continuing story of Joe Harker. This one has the usual villains, Hex and Binary, but also a love interest and time travel. Cool. And Hue is back, my favorite hero's mascot. A balloon with a personality and some intriguing, as yet undefined powers.