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subgirl's review against another edition
2.0
This was the best of the lot. It was not good though. I read it because I felt I had to and it was recommended. Once I started I had to finish it since I will finish a series if I start it. But Oof. Did not like.
adamrbrooks's review against another edition
3.0
(Some spoilerish thoughts below)
I gather this is the start of a well-regarded series. The book, as it was, was pretty interesting. Nice variety of characters, etc. But I felt like the whole story could have been told in a book, and known that this is basically just the exposition for a handful of other books made it pretty in satisfying. (Maybe it's not fair to judge a single book on knowing there's a lot more to come, but I read it with that inescapable knowledge)
And it's actually a big facto, because there's very little resolved (though a decent amount revealed) by the time this one wraps up.
As for the revelations... Meh. Some things at the beginning had me fairly intrigued, and then it turns out that the thing behind the net that is so exciting is......... Just a better network. A bit underwhelming.
I gather this is the start of a well-regarded series. The book, as it was, was pretty interesting. Nice variety of characters, etc. But I felt like the whole story could have been told in a book, and known that this is basically just the exposition for a handful of other books made it pretty in satisfying. (Maybe it's not fair to judge a single book on knowing there's a lot more to come, but I read it with that inescapable knowledge)
And it's actually a big facto, because there's very little resolved (though a decent amount revealed) by the time this one wraps up.
As for the revelations... Meh. Some things at the beginning had me fairly intrigued, and then it turns out that the thing behind the net that is so exciting is......... Just a better network. A bit underwhelming.
sethryals's review against another edition
4.0
I'll start off by saying that this is my first Tad Williams book. From what I have heard, his books are notorious for being slow burns, and boy is that an understatement with this book.
The story overall is hard to get into or summarize because it is very complex. There are a ton of characters and moving parts and pieces. To me that is usually a positive when I am reviewing a book, I love to get involved in a complex story with lots of dynamic characters that grow and shift the plot in their own ways. Where City of Golden Shadow falls short for me is that I didn't feel connected to any of the more minor characters whose viewpoints are written from.
By contrast, all of our main characters (Renie, Paul, !Xabbu, and Orlando), sat with me really well. They had so much growth over the course of the book. I think without the inclusion of the more minor character viewpoints, I would have liked the book more. That being said, I do understand that a lot of those more minor characters' plots do end up playing a big part in the bigger picture.
This novel definitely tested my tolerance for slow pacing and the pieces of a mystery slowly coming together. There were parts while reading that made me really want to put the book down. This is probably partially due to its age, which means the ideas that it is approaching are described in a very abstract way. This was probably necessary in 1996 when the book was published, but a lot of the technologies in this novel would be described as "near-future" in a more modern context.
Overall I think this was a great novel, beautifully written with dynamic characters. They all have interesting backgrounds and gave a nice perspective on what life in South Africa is like and especially hearing about !Xabbu's history was very interesting.
If you love Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk and you like a slow burn, I would highly recommend this book. It has a really interesting viewpoint that we don't see in a lot of Sci-Fi because of the setting and diversity of characters. It explores interesting concepts, and follows through on the promises it makes. But do be warned, there are slow parts of the novel that might leave you wanting to skim.
The story overall is hard to get into or summarize because it is very complex. There are a ton of characters and moving parts and pieces. To me that is usually a positive when I am reviewing a book, I love to get involved in a complex story with lots of dynamic characters that grow and shift the plot in their own ways. Where City of Golden Shadow falls short for me is that I didn't feel connected to any of the more minor characters whose viewpoints are written from.
By contrast, all of our main characters (Renie, Paul, !Xabbu, and Orlando), sat with me really well. They had so much growth over the course of the book. I think without the inclusion of the more minor character viewpoints, I would have liked the book more. That being said, I do understand that a lot of those more minor characters' plots do end up playing a big part in the bigger picture.
This novel definitely tested my tolerance for slow pacing and the pieces of a mystery slowly coming together. There were parts while reading that made me really want to put the book down. This is probably partially due to its age, which means the ideas that it is approaching are described in a very abstract way. This was probably necessary in 1996 when the book was published, but a lot of the technologies in this novel would be described as "near-future" in a more modern context.
Overall I think this was a great novel, beautifully written with dynamic characters. They all have interesting backgrounds and gave a nice perspective on what life in South Africa is like and especially hearing about !Xabbu's history was very interesting.
If you love Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk and you like a slow burn, I would highly recommend this book. It has a really interesting viewpoint that we don't see in a lot of Sci-Fi because of the setting and diversity of characters. It explores interesting concepts, and follows through on the promises it makes. But do be warned, there are slow parts of the novel that might leave you wanting to skim.
blanche's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what to rate this book to be honest.
There are so many POVs and it's okay that it's confusing in the beginning. It's what drives the book.
It's not the books fault that I did listen to the audio book, where the cuts were badly done and from one second to the other the POV and the whole scene changed. One second not properly listening and bam. No idea where you are. That's a bit exhausting for me. But again, not the books fault and not a reason to rate it down. But it didn't help the experience either.
I liked and really enjoyed the story. It's a bit slow on points and sometimes I found myself wishing.... pleaaaseeee just hurry up. I mean boy, this is nearly 1000 pages. 30 hours and, because of above reason, speeding it up a little didn't work at all.
I'll definitively continue because I'm looking forward to finding out, how the story continues. But not right away :-)
There are so many POVs and it's okay that it's confusing in the beginning. It's what drives the book.
It's not the books fault that I did listen to the audio book, where the cuts were badly done and from one second to the other the POV and the whole scene changed. One second not properly listening and bam. No idea where you are. That's a bit exhausting for me. But again, not the books fault and not a reason to rate it down. But it didn't help the experience either.
I liked and really enjoyed the story. It's a bit slow on points and sometimes I found myself wishing.... pleaaaseeee just hurry up. I mean boy, this is nearly 1000 pages. 30 hours and, because of above reason, speeding it up a little didn't work at all.
I'll definitively continue because I'm looking forward to finding out, how the story continues. But not right away :-)
ladyjedi's review against another edition
4.0
Starts slowly and at first you do not understand what is the connection between the characters, and for a few of them it does not become obvious until the 4th book. I loved the whole series.
bookworm5732's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.5
erikars's review against another edition
Otherland is set in a future where life on the Internet can be almost as real as the physical world. The book is interesting but long. At 800 pages, it barely starts the story that is continued in three more books. The book engaged me enough to compel me to finish it in one week, but in the end, I cannot even remember why it was so long. Overall, Otherland was worth reading, and I will read the rest of the series, but not right away.
gaulien's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
5.0
mariafernanda993's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75