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breckenridge's review
5.0
A very fun read! There's so much going on in this book it's kind of like watching all the characters play chicken with each other.
amurph's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
cwgk85's review
2.0
Was fairly disappointed by this one. I spent the first 3/4 of the book not quite sure what was going on, since its plot is intertwined with a number of short stories Niven had written previously that I haven't read (a neat idea for a stand-alone book but not for the second book in a series!). The final quarter of the book, however, is quite a bit better. It's just a shame that the book takes 75% of its plot to get to that point.
thesmudge's review
3.0
So, s big chunk of this book was like a flash back to before the fleet of worlds book 1 and meandered its way to tying into the first book. I would not say that is a bad thing but it seemed slower to me then the first book.
It sort of reminded be of how Asimov later in life worked to tie his foundation books into his robots books with spattering of his other stuff thrown in as well to create continuity and ultimately completion of his life’s significant works. He was criticized for it by many but I enjoyed it all.
I am wondering if that is where we are heading here with this series of books.
It sort of reminded be of how Asimov later in life worked to tie his foundation books into his robots books with spattering of his other stuff thrown in as well to create continuity and ultimately completion of his life’s significant works. He was criticized for it by many but I enjoyed it all.
I am wondering if that is where we are heading here with this series of books.
sloshydolphin's review against another edition
2.0
A very disjointed book that actually felt like it might have been several short stories shoved together (not sure if this is the case Larry Niven has done this before if i remember with book Flight Of Horses). It was very unclear as to motivations of some of the characters especially Pelton.
sleeping_while_awake's review against another edition
3.0
Juggler of Worlds is the second book in the Fleet of Worlds series. This series of books are meant to fill in the backstory of the Ringworld books, so I would recommend reading through those first, and moving onto the Fleet of Worlds if you want more info.
Juggler begins at a time in which the Puppeteers are heavily involved in Earth and human activities. Sigmund Ausfaller, an ARM agent (something like CIA/FBI), is studying the Puppeteers and Beowulf Shaeffer, certain there are devious plots. Beowulf is a character from older stories in the Known Space universe. Sigmund is neurotic, which helps his work, but doesn't help his personal life. He tries to uncover plots and hold together his romantic relationships.
Juggler of Worlds has a bit of an identity crisis. It is 2/3 backstory to Beowulf Shaeffer stories and 1/3 sequel to Fleet of Worlds. The plot summary on the actual book doesn't even mention Beowulf, and instead makes it seem like it's focused on Sigmund Ausfaller and Nessus.
I thought in the beginning of the book I was having attention problems. There were plot items being referenced at a rapid clip and a strange fixation by Sigmund on Beowulf as being responsible for everything.
I brought up Goodreads and read through a few reviews, and realized that it wasn't my reading comprehension that was the issue. The issue with Juggler of Worlds is that it is attempting to fill in backstory for what I assume are the majority of Beowulf's stories. If I had known that, I would have attempted to read some of them beforehand.
Beowulf's escapades have already been written about and his contentious relationship with Sigmund. Throw in a bunch of side characters that also appear to have been established in earlier books, it makes it confusing at times. The way it was written makes it seem like chapters were missing. It didn't feel cohesive to me.
Unfortunately, the backstory isn't very interesting compared to what the actual Beowulf stories are about, from what I surmised. It seems like it was an attempt to reconcile some of the older stories with how the plot has unfolded in latter books. It ends up being a page summary of what Beowulf did, and then Sigmund musing for a few pages more about the implications.
That's not necessarily a bad idea, but may have been better suited to a standalone book in the Known Space universe with that description.
Once I reached the last 1/3 of the book, the events of Fleet of Worlds met Juggler, and I really enjoyed the advancement of the plot. Without getting into spoilers, Sigmund does become involved with the characters and events in Fleet.
The Puppeteers are featured frequently, and in my opinion, they're always the best part. Nessus, Achilles, and Nike are focused on the fate of the Puppeteers. I would be find with just a Puppeteer book.
I'll be interested to read the next one, but I am bummed by how heavily this relied on previous knowledge of Beowulf stories.
Juggler begins at a time in which the Puppeteers are heavily involved in Earth and human activities. Sigmund Ausfaller, an ARM agent (something like CIA/FBI), is studying the Puppeteers and Beowulf Shaeffer, certain there are devious plots. Beowulf is a character from older stories in the Known Space universe. Sigmund is neurotic, which helps his work, but doesn't help his personal life. He tries to uncover plots and hold together his romantic relationships.
Juggler of Worlds has a bit of an identity crisis. It is 2/3 backstory to Beowulf Shaeffer stories and 1/3 sequel to Fleet of Worlds. The plot summary on the actual book doesn't even mention Beowulf, and instead makes it seem like it's focused on Sigmund Ausfaller and Nessus.
I thought in the beginning of the book I was having attention problems. There were plot items being referenced at a rapid clip and a strange fixation by Sigmund on Beowulf as being responsible for everything.
I brought up Goodreads and read through a few reviews, and realized that it wasn't my reading comprehension that was the issue. The issue with Juggler of Worlds is that it is attempting to fill in backstory for what I assume are the majority of Beowulf's stories. If I had known that, I would have attempted to read some of them beforehand.
Beowulf's escapades have already been written about and his contentious relationship with Sigmund. Throw in a bunch of side characters that also appear to have been established in earlier books, it makes it confusing at times. The way it was written makes it seem like chapters were missing. It didn't feel cohesive to me.
Unfortunately, the backstory isn't very interesting compared to what the actual Beowulf stories are about, from what I surmised. It seems like it was an attempt to reconcile some of the older stories with how the plot has unfolded in latter books. It ends up being a page summary of what Beowulf did, and then Sigmund musing for a few pages more about the implications.
That's not necessarily a bad idea, but may have been better suited to a standalone book in the Known Space universe with that description.
Once I reached the last 1/3 of the book, the events of Fleet of Worlds met Juggler, and I really enjoyed the advancement of the plot. Without getting into spoilers, Sigmund does become involved with the characters and events in Fleet.
The Puppeteers are featured frequently, and in my opinion, they're always the best part. Nessus, Achilles, and Nike are focused on the fate of the Puppeteers. I would be find with just a Puppeteer book.
I'll be interested to read the next one, but I am bummed by how heavily this relied on previous knowledge of Beowulf stories.
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